日本語
Food additive databasecolorChecked 2026-10-02

Purple Corn Color ムラサキトウモロコシ色素

Existing food additivePermitted in the EU (E163)
Purpose
color
On the label
“ムラサキトウモロコシ色素” (purple corn color), “ムラサキコーン色素” (purple corn color), “アントシアニン色素” (anthocyanin color), “着色料（アントシアニン）” (coloring (anthocyanin))
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
ムラサキトウモロコシ色素 (No. 289)
Source and production
Obtained from the seeds or cobs of corn (Zea mays), with cyanidin-3-glucoside as the main component (definition in the specifications). May contain dextrin or lactose.

In Japan

  • A coloring agent obtained from the seeds or cobs of purple corn, with anthocyanin (cyanidin-3-glucoside) as the main component (Japanese Standards of Food Additives, 10th edition). Under the standards for use of coloring agents (excluding chemically synthesized ones), it cannot be used in kelp (kombu), meat, fresh fish and shellfish (including whale meat), tea, nori (seaweed), beans, vegetables, or wakame seaweed.
  • If the name includes the character for “color” (色), as in “ムラサキトウモロコシ色素” (purple corn color) or “アントシアニン色素” (anthocyanin color), the purpose name “着色料” (coloring) can be omitted. If the short name “アントシアニン” (anthocyanin) is used, the purpose name is written alongside it as “着色料（アントシアニン）” (coloring (anthocyanin)).

Japan's standards for use

  • Standard for coloring agents (excluding chemically synthesized ones): must not be used in kelp (kombu), meat, fresh fish and shellfish (including whale meat), tea, nori (seaweed), beans, vegetables, or wakame seaweed

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 E163.
  • In the EU, E163 (anthocyanins) is defined as a single group obtained from edible fruits and vegetables, with no separate category for each source plant.

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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