Beetroot Red
A natural red pigment pressed or extracted from red beetroot, used to colour foods pink to deep red.
What is it?
Beetroot red is a concentrated extract from the roots of red beetroot (Beta vulgaris var. rubra). Its colour comes from betalain pigments, mainly betacyanins (the red fraction, of which betanin makes up 75-95%) with minor betaxanthins (yellow). The extract is produced by pressing or aqueous extraction of the root, then filtering and concentrating. No chemical synthesis is involved. It is water-soluble, heat-sensitive, and fades under light and oxygen, which is why it is most commonly used in chilled, frozen, or short-shelf-life products.
What does it do?
Betanin and related betacyanins absorb light most strongly in the green-yellow range (around 535 nm), making products appear pink to deep purplish-red. The depth of colour depends on the pH of the food: brighter red in acidic conditions, shifting toward blue-violet as pH rises. Because it degrades with heat and oxygen, it works best as a colourant in products that are not heavily processed after addition.
Where you will see it
Flavoured yogurts, ice cream and frozen desserts, fruit jellies and jams, soft drinks and juice drinks, confectionery, chewing gum, breakfast cereals, meat alternatives, and some bakery fillings and icings. On a UK ingredient label it appears as 'Beetroot Red', 'Betanin', or 'E162'.
What the science says
EFSA could not set an acceptable daily intake, but exposure from the additive is similar to eating beetroot
When EFSA re-evaluated E162 in 2015, it found the available toxicological studies were too limited to establish a formal acceptable daily intake (ADI). Genotoxicity could not be evaluated because no adequate tests had been submitted. There were also no adequate chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, or reproduction and developmental toxicity studies. Despite these data gaps, EFSA concluded that beetroot red is not of safety concern at its reported use levels, primarily because betanin is a natural part of the human diet from eating beetroot, and exposure from the additive is in the same range as exposure from ordinary food.
The toxicological database was inadequate to establish an ADI; genotoxic potential could not be evaluated; no adequate chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, or reproductive toxicity studies were available.
At reported use levels, beetroot red (E 162) is not of safety concern as regards its current use as a food additive, given that the colouring principles are natural dietary constituents with a long history of consumption and exposure from the additive is comparable to dietary exposure.
Beeturia: red or pink urine after consuming beetroot-coloured foods
Roughly 10-14% of people pass pink or red urine after eating beetroot or consuming products coloured with E162. This happens because betanin passes through the gut without being fully broken down and is excreted in urine. Beeturia is more common in people with iron deficiency anaemia, where it has been observed in up to 66-80% of untreated cases, and resolves when iron stores are corrected. In the general population it is a physiological curiosity, not a sign of harm.
Beeturia (pink or red urine after beetroot ingestion) affects approximately 10-14% of the general population and is more common in people with iron-deficiency anaemia or malabsorption.
In seven iron-deficient patients studied, beeturia resolved after 8 days of iron therapy, suggesting impaired pigment metabolism related to iron status rather than a toxic effect.
Betanin has low bioavailability: most of it is not absorbed into the bloodstream
A human study found that even after consuming large amounts of beetroot juice (194mg betanin) or whole beetroot (66mg betanin), betanin could not be detected in blood plasma at any time point. The pigment appears to undergo metabolic breakdown in the gut rather than being absorbed intact. This means that any physiological effects from betanin as a food additive would depend on its breakdown products rather than the pigment itself.
Betanin showed poor bioavailability in human plasma; it was undetectable in blood following consumption of 250ml beetroot juice (~194mg betanin) or 300g whole beetroot (~66mg betanin).
Laboratory studies suggest antioxidant activity, but human evidence is limited
In laboratory and animal studies, betanin shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, acting as a free-radical scavenger. Animal studies have also shown reduced oxidative stress markers with betanin supplementation. However, given the poor bioavailability in humans shown in plasma studies, whether these effects occur at typical food-additive exposure levels in people has not been established in robust human trials.
Betanin demonstrated free-radical scavenging capacity in laboratory assays and reduced oxidative stress markers in rodent studies.
Most evidence for betanin's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects comes from in vitro and animal models; robust human clinical trials are lacking.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
People with a history of kidney stones caused by calcium oxalate should be aware that beetroot as a food is high in oxalates, though the additive is used in small quantities and the oxalate contribution from E162 at typical food-colouring doses is not established as a concern. Anyone who notices reddened urine or stools after eating beetroot-coloured foods is likely experiencing beeturia, which is a physiological response not a sign of harm, but anyone unexpectedly finding red urine without having eaten beetroot-coloured food should consult a doctor to rule out other causes. On a label, look for 'Beetroot Red', 'Betanin', or 'E162'.
The honest read
E162 is extracted from an ordinary vegetable that people eat in large quantities with no additive classification. Exposure from the additive matches what you would get from eating beetroot in a meal. The main scientific caveat is not about the additive's effect on people but about the state of formal toxicology: because betanin is a natural pigment with a long history of food use, the formal animal and genotoxicity studies needed to set a conventional ADI were never comprehensively done, and EFSA flagged that gap in 2015 without changing its approval status. The practical picture is of a natural pigment in a category largely defined by the absence of documented harms, rather than by a positive all-clear from a full dossier.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E162 banned in the UK?
No. E162 is approved for use in the UK under the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 (Annex II), held on the UK FSA's approved additives list. It is a Group II colour permitted at quantum satis (no fixed maximum) in most foods. It is not permitted in foods specifically made for infants under 12 months.
Why did EFSA say it could not set an ADI for E162?
In its 2015 re-evaluation, EFSA's scientific panel found the formal toxicological studies (genotoxicity tests, chronic feeding studies, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity studies) were either absent or too limited to calculate a conventional acceptable daily intake. It did not find evidence of harm; it found a gap in the standard study package. EFSA concluded current use was not of safety concern because betanin is a natural part of the diet from eating beetroot, and additive exposure is similar in scale to dietary exposure.
What foods contain E162?
Flavoured yogurts, ice cream, frozen desserts, fruit jellies, soft drinks, confectionery, chewing gum, breakfast cereals, meat alternatives, and some bakery fillings and icings. It appears on the label as 'Beetroot Red', 'Betanin', or 'E162'.
Is E162 vegan?
Yes. Beetroot red is extracted entirely from beetroot roots and contains no animal-derived ingredients.
Sources
- UK FSA: Beetroot Red, betanin (E-162) - Authorised Regulated Food Products
- EFSA ANS Panel: Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of beetroot red (E 162) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2015;13(12):4318
- EFSA ANS Panel: Safety of the proposed extension of use of beetroot red (E 162) in foods for special medical purposes in young children, EFSA Journal 2016;14(5):4487
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
- EU Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 - specifications for E162 beetroot red betanin
- Watson WC et al., Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot pigments, Pharmacogenetics 1993;3(6):302-311
- Clifford T et al., The plasma bioavailability of nitrate and betanin from Beta vulgaris rubra in humans, European Journal of Nutrition
- Allegra M et al., Short-Term Betanin Intake Reduces Oxidative Stress in Wistar Rats, Antioxidants 2019;8(8):306
- Chen L et al., Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits, Food Science and Nutrition 2021;9(11):6158-6166
- International Association of Color Manufacturers: Beet Red profile
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