E160e or Beta-apo-8'-carotenal is a chemical compound, an ingredient included in the list of European food additives as a dye agent and derived from natural carotene.

The name describes the structure of the molecule

• "Beta" indicates the specific position and configuration of a functional group in the compound.
• "apo" indicates that a portion of the original molecule, in this case, a carotenoid, has been removed.
• "8'-carotenal" indicates that the compound is derived from carotenoids and that the specific modification is at the eighth position of the compound.

Description of raw materials used in production

• β-carotene. A natural compound obtained primarily from algae and plants.
• Oxidizing agents. Such as nitric acid.

Step-by-step summary of industrial chemical synthesis process

• Preparation of raw materials. β-carotene needs to be purified and readied for the reaction.
• Oxidation. The β-carotene is subjected to an oxidation reaction using oxidizing agents like nitric acid to form Beta-apo-8'-carotenal.
• Purification. The reacting mixture undergoes further purification steps to remove impurities and residual oxidizing agents.
• Isolation and drying. The Beta-apo-8'-carotenal is isolated from the mixture and dried to obtain the final product.

Commercial Applications

Food industry. Used as a food colorant to impart a reddish-orange color to various food products.

Cosmetics. It may be found in some cosmetics, though not as common as other carotenoids.

Dietary supplements. Might be used in supplements for its antioxidant properties, but it's not commonly found.

Safety

The Panel on Food Additives concluded that E160e was not of concern with respect to genotoxicity, but indicated an ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) of 0.05 mg/kg bw/day
(1).

Bibliografia_____________________________________________________________________

(1) EFSA Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of β-apo-8’-carotenal (E 160e) as a food additive EFSA Journal 2012;10(3):2499  doi 10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2499