Food additive databasecolorChecked 2026-10-02

Canthaxanthin カンタキサンチン

Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E161g)EFSA ADI 0.03mg per kg body weight per day

Purpose: color
On the label: “着色料（カンタキサンチン）” (coloring (canthaxanthin)), “着色料（カロテノイド）” (coloring (carotenoid)), “カロテノイド色素” (carotenoid pigment)
Name in the List of Designated Additives: カンタキサンチン (No. 106)

In Japan

One of the carotenoids, a red to orange coloring.
Under the standards for use, it may be used only in kamaboko (excluding hanpen, satsuma-age, fish sausage, and the like).
For colorings, the purpose name must be written alongside. The short names and category names include “カロテノイド” and “カロチノイド” (carotenoid).

Japan's standards for use

Fish paste products (only kamaboko) 0.035 g/kg
May not be used in hanpen, satsuma-age, tuna ham, fish sausage, or similar products

This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.

In the EU

It is on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E161g.
In the EU, its use in food is limited to a type of sausage, “ソシス・ド・ストラスブール” (Saucisses de Strasbourg)
In its 2010 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 0.03mg per kg of body weight per day (EFSA ANS).

Sources

Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.

Other substances used as color

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