E162Colour
Beetroot red
What the research shows
Not enough
published research on this page yet
A red colouring taken from beetroot.
It is used to give food a red colour.1
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
How it’s made and used
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Natural food colour stability2
Beetroot red fades with heat, light and air, so its colour can weaken during cooking and storage.
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Natural food coloring3
Beetroot red is a food dye from beetroot, which also has vitamins, minerals and plant compounds.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.
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UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 1987
No daily limit needed (“ADI not specified”, JECFA’s term for very low toxicity).
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 1,011 products on Open Food Facts that list beetroot red.
- Lentil & Pea Veggie Cakes Beetroot & Balsamic Kallo · 122 g 0 additives
- Sachet de skittles aux fruits Skittles · 152 g 13 additives
- Beyond Burger Beyond Meat · 226 g 3 additives
- Chocolate M&M m&m's · 45 g 10 additives
- Fruits Skittles Skittles · 136 g 13 additives
- This isn't pork sausages This · 270 g 6 additives
References
- 1Betanin. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Fu Y, Shi J, Xie SY, Zhang TY, Soladoye OP, Aluko RE. Red Beetroot Betalains: Perspectives on Extraction, Processing, and Potential Health Benefits. J Agric Food Chem. 2020;68(42):11595-11611. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04241
- 3Chhikara N, Kushwaha K, Sharma P, Gat Y, Panghal A. Bioactive compounds of beetroot and utilization in food processing industry: A critical review. Food Chem. 2019;272:192-200. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.08.022