Carotenes are a common type of supplement that is structurally unsaturated. They belong to the group of carotenoids. This substance is also found in nature, representing a bright orange pigment. It is formed by plant photosynthesis. Most people are familiar with it, which, when ripe, have just a pronounced orange tone. But a person or any other animal organisms cannot produce it due to the peculiarities of physiology.

Supplement Information

According to the generally accepted classification, the presented addition to various products power supply received the E160a marking. The name of the substance itself comes from the Latin word "carota", which literally translates as "carrot".

Such a strange name is explained by the fact that this particular root crop has an almost record-breaking content of carotene created by nature itself. Except carrots food supplement has become an important part of a number of other vegetables and fruits like cabbage, apricot, sweet and exotic.

To determine whether a particular vegetable has a high content of carotenes, you can use the "by eye" method. The richer the orange color of the ripened fruit, the higher the chances that the vegetable will please with a good level of a useful ingredient.

Against this background, the question of whether the additive is dangerous or not practically disappears. Most consumers believe that if the component is of natural origin, then it possible harm usually kept to a minimum.

The dye does not dissolve at all in, but instead easily contacts with organic solvents or. From a medical point of view, E160a is listed as provitamin A, which is necessary for the normal functioning of every person.

At the same time, doctors remind that no matter what high-quality carotene in the composition ready meal no matter what, it must be consumed in moderation.

If you ignore this medical testament, then you may encounter an excess of a generally useful nutritional supplement.

With the development of such a scenario, an excess substance will begin to be deposited in the liver and fats of the eater. And if necessary, it begins to be synthesized in. From this it follows that in large quantities, carotene is still harmful. Experts note that the yellow color of human subcutaneous fat just indicates that too much of such an additive has accumulated in the body. If we are talking about farm animals like cows or goats, then overeating an orange allowance may end up with a yellowish tint.

It will not be possible to get rid of it even with the subsequent processing of raw milk in order to obtain from it:

• oil;

From a chemical point of view, all natural carotene can be divided into several categories. The most popular variations are alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. But in fact, there are many more groups of them, it's just that other categories are used an order of magnitude less often. The remaining proposals are sorted by the following types with such additions: gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta.

The alpha and beta counterparts are most similar to each other. The difference is based solely on the location of the double bonds that are in the terminal molecular ring.

Industrial use

In the food industry, the additive is created using complex chemical synthesis technology, or using products that are known for their high content of carotene.

The second approach is considered organic, which reduces the possible negative impact on the body.

To make it easier to recognize these two variations, honest manufacturers always indicate on the packaging of their products which type of additive they use:

• E160a(i) - synthetic solution;
• E160a(ii) - natural adaptation.

In the first subspecies, the Americans distinguished themselves the most. They supply the world market with the lion's share of the additive synthesized by chemical reactions. But in Spain, special mushrooms served as the basis for the extraction of the natural component. Australian factories operate on a similar principle, using dried as a raw material.

The term carotene (aka food additive E160a) is used to refer to a group of substances having the chemical formula C 40 H 56 . According to the structure, the additive E160a is unsaturated hydrocarbons belonging to the group of carotenoids. Carotene is an orange pigment produced by plant photosynthesis. Carotenes, for example, are responsible for the orange color of apricots. Carotenes cannot be produced by animals or humans.

The name carotene comes from the Latin carota- carrot. This product is naturally rich in carotene. In addition to carrots, the following vegetables and fruits contain especially a lot of carotene: melon, persimmon, apricot, cabbage, parsley, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mango. As a rule, the higher the intensity of the orange color of the product, the more carotene it contains.

Dye E160a is insoluble in water, but may be soluble in organic solvents and fats. Supplement E160a is a provitamin of vitamin A. Excess carotene can be deposited in the human body in the liver and fats and, if necessary, be synthesized into vitamin A. The yellow color of human fat is the result of the accumulation of carotene. Also, unprocessed carotene in the body of animals can give color to cow's milk and products obtained from it (cottage cheese, butter, sour cream).

There are two main forms of carotenes: alpha-carotene (α-carotene) and beta-carotene (β-carotene). There are also g amma-, delta-, epsilon- and zeta-carotene (γ, δ, ε and ζ-carotene), but they are not widely used. The molecules of alpha- and beta-carotene are almost identical, only the positions of the double bonds in the terminal ring of the molecule differ.

In industry, carotene (food additive E160a) is either synthesized chemically or obtained from foods rich in carotene. Depending on the type of production, the E160a additive is divided into two subtypes: synthetic beta-carotene (E160a(i) additive) and natural carotene extracts (E160a(ii) dye).

The United States supplies the world market with most of the carotene obtained synthetically, in Spain it is produced from a special type of mushroom, in Australia it is extracted from dried seaweed. Also, other plants and some types of bacteria can be an industrial source of the E160a additive.

In general, carotene is a vital element. It is the main source of vitamin A in the human body. By its nature, the E160a supplement is an antioxidant - a substance that slows down the processes of cell oxidation in the body. However, an excess of carotene in the body can lead to the disease carotenemia. Since carotene, unlike vitamin A, has little toxicity, usually carotenemia (hypercarotenemia) is not considered a dangerous disease, although it leads to a change in skin tone to a more yellow color.

It is not recommended to consume an excessive amount of the E160a supplement for people at risk of cancer (smokers, people who drink alcohol excessively, workers in the asbestos industry), as several studies have shown that excessive consumption of beta-carotene in food increases the risk of cancer in people of this group. However, there are no studies that prove that this applies to the entire population as a whole.

Beta-carotene is prescribed for people suffering from photosensitivity ( erythropoietic protoporphyria). It also helps prevent cognitive decline. The use of beta-carotene as part of products containing the food supplement E160a cannot cause any harm to the body due to small doses and the body's ability to synthesize carotene into vital vitamin A.

In the food industry, food additive E160a is used as a safe dye. It is found in drinks, juices, confectionery and other foods.

In addition to the food industry, beta-carotene is used in the field of nanotechnology and medicine.

The E160a additive is approved for use in food products in Russia, Ukraine and many other countries.

There is a fairly common myth that from "all these E one continuous harm." Indeed, even among the food additives approved for use in Russia, there are both carcinogenic and causing severe allergic reactions, while not bringing any benefit. However, there are among them completely harmless, and even useful, such as red-orange organic E160a - beta-carotene.

Beta-carotene is divided into two types according to the method of production - E160a (i), synthesized chemically and E160 (ii), obtained directly from bio-raw materials.

The main name of the dye E160a is beta-carotene, or β-carotene, eng. beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is so named because it has structurally identical β-rings at each end of its molecule.

Substance type

Chemical formula: C 40 H 56 .

According to the E160a type, it belongs to carotenes, which, in turn, are terpenoids - oxygen-containing organic compounds (usually of natural origin), their carbon skeleton is formed from isoprene units.