E163 (anthocyanins)

E163 refers to anthocyanins, a group of plant pigments that provide red, purple, blue and burgundy shades. In nature they occur in berries, grapes, red cabbage, dark fruits and some flowers. In food manufacturing, anthocyanins are used as colourants in drinks, desserts, sauces, dairy products, confectionery, jellies and other foods where a plant-derived colour is desired.

Anthocyanins are often associated with the benefits of berries and polyphenols. That association is understandable, but the colourant E163 is not the same as a serving of blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries or red cabbage. In whole plant foods, pigments come with fibre, acids, minerals, water and many other compounds. In an industrial product, they may be added only for colour.

Why the colour changes

Anthocyanins are sensitive to pH. In acidic conditions they tend to give red shades, while changes in acidity can shift them toward purple, blue or duller tones. The same type of pigment can therefore look different in a drink, yogurt, jelly or sauce. For technologists this is both useful and challenging: the colour is plant-derived, but not always as stable as a synthetic dye.

Because of this sensitivity, products with E163 often contain acids, acidity regulators, stabilisers and other components that help hold the colour. For someone on LCHF this matters because the colourant may appear next to sugar, fruit concentrates, syrups, starches and flavourings. Colour alone does not show carbohydrate content.

Safety and ADI limits

EFSA re-evaluated anthocyanins as a food additive and noted that the existing toxicological database was insufficient to establish a numerical acceptable daily intake. This does not mean that berries or cabbage became dangerous. It means that isolated or concentrated food colourants are assessed more strictly than ordinary foods in which anthocyanins occur naturally in a matrix.

The practical conclusion is calm. Foods with E163 do not need to be feared automatically, but they should not be considered beneficial just because they contain anthocyanins. If the colourant is used occasionally and the product is otherwise reasonable, it is usually not the main issue. If a person drinks sweet purple beverages and eats berry-coloured desserts and candies every day, the broader dietary pattern matters more.

Low-carbohydrate relevance

E163 itself is not sugar or starch. Anthocyanin colour, however, often appears in foods that imitate berries: drinks, yogurts, desserts, syrups, candies, jams and fillings. For LCHF, sugar, fruit purees and concentrates, starch, flour, maltodextrin, syrups and serving size need to be checked.

Moderate portions of berries can fit many low-carbohydrate diets, especially when eaten with unsweetened yogurt, cream or nuts. That is not the same as a sweet product coloured with E163 and flavoured to resemble berries. Real berries provide volume, acidity, fibre and satiety in a different context. The colourant provides only part of the visual image.

How to read the label

On labels, E163 may appear as anthocyanins, grape skin extract, black carrot extract, elderberry extract or other plant sources. The next step is to see what makes the product sweet and thick. If the base is sugar, syrups, starch or fruit concentrate, the product should be assessed as sweet even if the colour comes from plants.

The best way to get the value of anthocyanins is to eat the berries and vegetables themselves, choosing portions that fit carbohydrate tolerance. Then the pigments arrive with a food matrix. E163 can be an acceptable technological detail, but it should not replace real food or hide a dessert behind berry-like benefit.

Anthocyanin colour is also often used in products with a berry story where real berries are scarce or absent. Packaging may show blueberries, blackcurrants or grapes, while flavour is built from flavourings and acids. If the goal is to eat berries, it is better to choose the berries themselves in a suitable portion, not a product where the berry image is created by colour and aroma.