Beta-carotene is the orange in carrots, bottled as a colour and a supplement. The pigment is plant or lab-made; the only animal risk is the capsule it sometimes rides in.
Made fromPlants, algae, or synthesis
E numberE160a
VerdictUsually vegan
Where it hides
Orange and yellow foods
Margarine and dairy alternatives
Supplements and multivitamins
Soft drinks and juices
What it is
Beta-carotene is the pigment that makes carrots and sweet potatoes orange, and the body turns it into vitamin A. As an additive it is a colour and a nutrient.
Primary source 01 / 01
an organic, strongly colored red-orange pigment abundant in fungi, plants, and fruits
As a colour, beta-carotene is extracted from plants, grown in algae like Dunaliella salina, or synthesised, all of which are vegan. The only place an animal ingredient sneaks in is the delivery form: some supplement beadlets suspend beta-carotene in gelatin. The pigment is vegan; a gelatin capsule around it is not, so supplement shoppers should check.
Vitamin A (retinol and carotene)Vitamin A comes in two forms with two different back-stories. One can be pulled from fish liver, the other is pure plant pigment, and the label decides which you are getting.
Annatto (E160b)Annatto is the orange in a lot of cheddar and snack dust. It comes from a seed, so on the vegan test it is a clear pass, even when the food around it is not.
Caramel colour (E150)Caramel colour is burnt sugar, more or less, the brown in cola and gravy browning. It is almost always vegan, with a rare footnote about the sugar it starts from.
Vitamin A on a vegan dietThe Evidence · Vegans get vitamin A the long way round: plants supply beta-carotene, and the body turns it into the active vitamin. The conversion is real but not identical in everyone, which is why the orange and dark-green vegetables earn their place.
Frequently asked
Is E160a vegan?
The pigment is, being from plants, algae or synthesis. In supplements, check that it is not encapsulated in gelatin beadlets, which would not be vegan.
Is beta-carotene the same as vitamin A?
Beta-carotene is a provitamin the body converts into vitamin A. It is the plant-based route to vitamin A, so it is a useful source on a vegan diet.
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