Food additive databasecolorChecked 2026-10-02

Sodium Norbixin ノルビキシンナトリウム

Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E160b(ii))EFSA ADI 0.3mg（ノルビキシンとして） per kg body weight per day

Purpose: color
On the label: “着色料（ノルビキシンNa）” (coloring (sodium norbixin)), “着色料（水溶性アナトー）” (coloring (water-soluble annatto)), “着色料（アナトー）” (coloring (annatto)), “アナトー色素” (annatto color), “カロテノイド色素” (carotenoid color)
Name in the List of Designated Additives: ノルビキシンナトリウム (No. 305)

In Japan

A salt of norbixin, the main pigment of annatto color, and a water-soluble coloring agent (water-soluble annatto).
Under the standards for use, it cannot be used in kelp (kombu), meat, fresh fish and shellfish (including whale meat), tea, nori (seaweed), beans, vegetables, or wakame seaweed.
Because it is a coloring agent, the purpose name is written alongside, as in “着色料（ノルビキシンNa）” (coloring (sodium norbixin)). “水溶性アナトー” (water-soluble annatto), “アナトー” (annatto), “カロテノイド” (carotenoid), and similar can also be used as short names or category names, and if the name includes the character for “color” (色), the purpose name can be omitted.

Japan's standards for use

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 E160b(ii).
In the EU, it is registered as “annatto, norbixin” (E160b(ii)), and there are no separate E numbers for the potassium and sodium salts.
In its 2019 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 0.3mg（ノルビキシンとして） per kg of body weight per day (EFSA FAF).

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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