E160c (an extract of paprika, capsanthin, and capsorubin)

E160c is paprika extract, a food colour containing the red-orange pigments capsanthin and capsorubin. It is obtained from Capsicum fruits, but in industrial use it is added mainly for colour, not heat. A product containing E160c is therefore not necessarily hot, spicy or similar to ground paprika used in home cooking. The colourant can give a warm shade to cheeses, sauces, snacks, desserts, meat products, drinks and prepared mixes.

Paprika as a spice and E160c as a colourant are related by origin but different in purpose. The spice brings aroma, flavour, sometimes mild heat and the food matrix of ground pepper. Paprika extract used for colouring is standardised for pigments and technological function. It may be part of a good product, but by itself it does not make a food vegetable-rich, healthy or low in carbohydrate.

Capsanthin and capsorubin

Capsanthin and capsorubin are carotenoids from red pepper that provide an intense red-orange colour. They are fat-soluble, so paprika extract works well in foods with a fat phase: cheeses, oils, sauces, sausage products, snacks and creamy products. Sometimes E160c is used to make a product look more mature, spicy or rich even when flavour is created by other ingredients.

The pigments of paprika should be separated from capsaicin. Capsaicin is responsible for pepper heat, while E160c is standardised as a colourant. Some flavour or aroma may remain depending on the extract and dose, but the technological goal is colour. The phrase paprika extract on a label does not guarantee heat or the meaningful presence of pepper as a vegetable.

Safety and data limits

EFSA re-evaluated paprika extract as a food colour and noted that the available data did not allow a standard acceptable daily intake to be established with the same confidence as for some other additives. The assessment considered composition, low bioavailability of the main pigments, possible impurities, solvents and actual levels of use. For consumers, this means that extract quality and specification matter.

Occasional intake of products with E160c is rarely the main dietary issue. If a person frequently eats coloured snacks, sauces, processed meats and ready-made mixes, the question becomes broader than one colourant. Such products may contain starches, sugar, cheap oils, excess salt, flavour enhancers and flavourings. In that setting E160c is more a marker of industrial appearance design than the central factor.

Relevance for LCHF

E160c is not sugar or starch and usually does not affect carbohydrate content by itself. It can appear in low-carbohydrate products and in clearly unsuitable ones. Cheese, a starch-free meat product or a sugar-free sauce is one situation. Chips, sweet sauce, bakery, dessert mix or drink with the same colourant is another. Low-carbohydrate eating requires assessment of the product base, not the red-orange shade.

Red and orange colour often strengthens the impression of spice, meatiness, roasting or richness. This can make a product seem more nourishing than it is. If the ingredient list has little protein and many starchy fillers, E160c does not improve the food’s role. A good LCHF choice is built on real food, not on colour that imitates spices or maturity.

Tolerance and practical choice

In sensitive people, products with paprika extract may coincide with reactions to pepper, spices, nightshades, acids or other additives. E160c is not always the cause. If itching, heartburn, abdominal pain, rashes or headache repeatedly follow particular sauces, snacks or processed meats, it is better to examine the whole formula and the product category.

On labels, E160c may appear as paprika extract, capsanthin, capsorubin or oleoresin paprika. After that, sugar, starch, flour, maltodextrin, vegetable oils, salt and serving size need to be checked. Paprika extract may be an acceptable ingredient detail, but it should not hide a product built on starch, sweetness or cheap flavour enhancement.