Zeaxanthin
Function: Food colours
E161H is the European food-additive number for Zeaxanthin, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Zeaxanthin (E161h) is a colour used as a food additive.
What is E161H used for?
Zeaxanthin (E161H) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Food colours (E-numbers).
Is E161H safe or restricted?
E161H is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No known concern” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E161H vegan or vegetarian?
Zeaxanthin (E161H) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E161H?
E161H appears in 187 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Dietary Supplements, Protein Powder / Shake, and Multivitamin.
- Dietary Supplements39
- Protein Powder / Shake37
- Multivitamin28
- Meal Replacement Shake18
- Vitamins & Supplements8
- Omega-3 / Fish Oil6
- Instant Noodles6
- Prepared Vegetarian Meals3
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E161H across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E161H
- What is E161H?
- E161H is the E-number for Zeaxanthin, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Zeaxanthin (E161h) is a colour used as a food additive.
- What is E161H used for?
- Zeaxanthin (E161H) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E161H?
- E161H appears in 187 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Dietary Supplements, Protein Powder / Shake, and Multivitamin. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E161H vegan or vegetarian?
- Zeaxanthin (E161H) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E161H safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E161H is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as ‘No known concern’ and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E161H — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan and vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.