also: Anthocyanidin (pelargonidin)
A natural orange-red plant pigment from strawberries and raspberries, used as a food colour derived from fruits.
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Pelargonidin is one of six major anthocyanidins, a class of water-soluble plant pigments belonging to the flavonoid group.
Pelargonidin is one of six major anthocyanidins, a class of water-soluble plant pigments belonging to the flavonoid group. In its pure aglycone form it produces an orange-red hue. In foods it most commonly occurs bound to sugars as glycosides, such as pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (callistephin), which is the dominant pigment in strawberries. It is obtained by extraction from plant sources.
As a food colour, pelargonidin absorbs light in the blue-green region of the visible spectrum and reflects orange-red wavelengths. Its colour intensity is pH-dependent: it is brightest in acidic conditions, shifting toward violet or colourless at higher pH. When used as an additive it replaces or augments the natural colour lost during food processing, giving products a red or pink appearance.
Pelargonidin occurs naturally in strawberries, raspberries, red radishes, red onions, kidney beans, and pomegranates, where it provides the characteristic red colour. As a deliberate additive it may appear in fruit-flavoured soft drinks, fruit preparations, jams, confectionery, yogurts, ice cream, desserts, and bakery fillings. On a UK food label it is declared as 'colour (anthocyanins)' or 'colour (E163)' within the ingredients list. The sub-code E163d is used in reference literature but EU and UK law list only E163 as the regulated name.
Pelargonidin is studied in laboratory settings for its ability to neutralise free radicals. Cell and test-tube research has found it to be among the more potent anthocyanidins at scavenging hydroxyl radicals. These findings are from isolated-compound experiments and do not by themselves confirm a benefit at the amounts consumed from food.
Pelargonidin showed the highest inhibitory effect on hydroxyl radical scavenging activity among several anthocyanidins tested in cell-free assays.
A human whole-blood study found that pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside and one of its gut metabolites raised levels of the anti-inflammatory signalling molecule IL-10 at the lowest dose tested, but had no effect on other pro-inflammatory markers. The researchers described effects as modest, limited to a single cytokine, and seen only at physiologically relevant concentrations without a clear dose-response relationship.
Pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside and phloroglucinaldehyde increased IL-10 at 0.08 micromol/L in human whole blood cultures, but no effects on phagocytosis, oxidative burst, or pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8) were detected.
When people eat strawberries, pelargonidin glucosides are absorbed in the small intestine and quickly converted to glucuronide metabolites in the liver. Peak plasma levels appear within one to two hours. Only about 1% of intake is recovered intact in urine, suggesting rapid metabolism and relatively low systemic exposure. Around 90% of ingested anthocyanins are thought to reach the large intestine, where gut bacteria break them down further.
After strawberry ingestion, pelargonidin-O-glucuronide was the main circulating form, peaking at around 274 nmol/L within 1.1 hours; urinary recovery corresponded to approximately 1% of anthocyanin intake.
Animal and some human studies suggest that pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside from strawberries influences gut bacteria composition. One animal study found it raised the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and increased Prevotella, alongside improved glucose handling. Human studies on strawberry powder found changes in 24 bacterial populations associated with body weight and vascular health. These are early-stage findings in dietary contexts, not from the additive in isolation.
Pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside from wild raspberry modified gut microbiota composition, including increased Prevotella and elevated Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, in a mouse model of hyperglycaemia.
In 2013 EFSA re-evaluated all anthocyanins as a group under E163. The Panel concluded that the existing toxicological database was insufficient to set a numerical acceptable daily intake, because long-term studies on chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive effects were very limited. It noted that for anthocyanins produced by non-aqueous extraction methods the absence of chemical characterisation data prevented verification of safety conclusions. EFSA recommended further characterisation and toxicological studies to enable a fuller re-evaluation.
The EFSA ANS Panel concluded that the toxicological database for anthocyanins (E163) was inadequate to establish a numerical ADI, and that long-term data on chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive function were extremely limited.
For anthocyanins produced by non-aqueous extraction, the absence of characterisation data meant safety conclusions could not be verified; EFSA recommended new toxicological data be required.
No specific population group is required by UK or EU law to avoid anthocyanins. People with known allergies to strawberries or other berry sources should note that pelargonidin extracts may derive from those fruits, though allergic reactions to isolated anthocyanin pigments are not documented in the scientific literature reviewed. Look for 'anthocyanins' or 'E163' in the colour section of the ingredients list.
Pelargonidin is the pigment that makes strawberries red, and as a food additive it is doing the same job in a bottle or a pot of yogurt. It comes from the same class of compounds found in a bowl of berries. The EFSA reviewed the whole anthocyanin group in 2013 and could not set a precise daily intake limit because the long-term toxicology studies simply have not been done on concentrated extracts. That is an honest data gap, not a finding of harm. The research that exists, mostly in cells and animals, points toward antioxidant and modest anti-inflammatory effects at relevant concentrations, but whether those effects translate to a meaningful benefit from the amount present in a coloured food is unresolved. In short: this is a fruit pigment doing what fruit pigments do, used in small quantities to colour food, with no identified hazard and an acknowledged gap in the formal long-term data.
No. Pelargonidin is part of the E163 anthocyanins group, which is approved for use as a food colour in the UK under the FSA approved-additives list and assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008. The sub-code E163d appears in reference literature but is not used as a distinct regulatory designation in UK food law.
Pelargonidin is a naturally occurring plant pigment found in strawberries, raspberries, red radishes, and other fruits and vegetables. When used as a food additive, it is extracted from plant sources. It is not produced synthetically for food use.
Pelargonidin occurs naturally in strawberries, raspberries, red radishes, red onions, kidney beans, and pomegranates. As a deliberate additive it may appear in fruit drinks, flavoured yogurts, jams, confectionery, ice cream, and bakery products. On the label it will be listed as 'colour (anthocyanins)' or 'colour (E163)' rather than specifically as E163d.
Yes. Pelargonidin is a plant-derived pigment extracted from fruits and vegetables, with no animal-derived components in the additive itself.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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