E163 (anthocyanins)

E163 is anthocyanins. In the food industry, this additive is used as a coloring agent: it helps to give the product the desired shade, restore color after processing, or make the appearance more stable and recognizable.

What is this additive

By nature, E163 consists of plant pigments from berries, grapes, vegetables, and other sources. It is important to distinguish the technological use of the dye from the nutritional value of the product: the mere presence of a dye does not indicate that the product is beneficial or harmful until the entire composition is understood.

For accurate labeling, not only the number but also the name of the substance matters. Similar E-codes may have close colors but completely different sources, chemical structures, and usage limitations.

Why it is added

The main task of E163 is to provide a red, purple, or blue shade depending on the pH. Dyes are especially often used where the natural color of the raw material is lost during heating, storage, grinding, mixing with other ingredients, or prolonged transportation.

In practice, E163 can be found in products such as beverages, desserts, yogurts, confectionery, sauces, and products with berry positioning. The specific application depends on the legislation of the country, the product category, dosage, and the technological goal of the manufacturer.

Nutritional value and metabolism

Dyes are usually added in very small amounts, so they rarely represent a significant source of calories, proteins, fats, or digestible carbohydrates. For blood sugar and insulin, the recipe of the product is often more important: sugar, flour, starch, syrups, fats, and portion size.

If a product is positioned as dietary, low-carb, or for children, the presence of a dye should still be evaluated along with the other ingredients. A bright color can mask a poor composition but can also occur in a neutral technological dose.

Safety and possible limitations

Anthocyanins change color depending on acidity, so the same dye can give different shades in different products.

Individual tolerance varies: sensitive individuals may have reactions to specific dyes or to the product as a whole. If itching, rash, headache, abdominal discomfort, or unusual reactions in a child occur after a specific meal, it is helpful to correlate the symptoms with the composition and discuss it with a specialist.

How to read the label

On the label, E163 may be indicated as the E number or as the name: anthocyanins. It is better to evaluate not just the number in isolation but the entire food matrix: frequency of consumption, amount of ultra-processed products, sugar, sweeteners, flavorings, preservatives, and overall diet.