Paprika Extract Capsanthin 95% Powder E160c CAS 465-42-9 Natural Red Pigment for Food Coloring

Short Description:

Capsanthin is the principal red carotenoid pigment of the paprika fruit (Capsicum annuum L.), classified as a xanthophyll-type carotenoid. As a food colorant it carries the EU designation E160c. This product is standardized to ≥ 95% capsanthin content by HPLC, representing a high-purity natural red pigment grade. Supplied as a dark red to reddish-brown fine powder, it is suitable for use in food coloring and cosmetic applications.

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Product Detail

Product Tags

Natural Red Colorant Series

Capsanthin Powder 95%

Color is the first language of food. And as the world’s food giants said goodbye to petroleum-based reds — the FDA revoked Red No. 3 authorization in 2025 with mandatory removal by January 15, 2027, and California’s AB 418 follows on January 1, 2027 — formulators turned to the red that nature perfected over millennia: capsanthin, the principal red carotenoid of the paprika fruit (Capsicum annuum L.). This product is a high-purity grade standardized to ≥ 95% capsanthin by HPLC (CAS 465-42-9, EU colorant E160c). Every gram carries measurable coloring power — a color value of ≥ 180 CU — so a little goes a long way in food, beverage, cosmetic, and feed formulations. Clean-label compliant, heat- and light-stable, pH-insensitive: the natural red that is ready to replace synthetic dyes.

≥ 95% HPLC
CAS 465-42-9
E160c Approved
Color Value ≥ 180 CU

Specifications

Item	Specification
Product Name	Capsanthin Powder (Paprika Extract)
CAS Number	465-42-9
E Number	E160c (EU food colorant designation)
Molecular Formula	C40H56O3
Molecular Weight	584.87 g/mol
Capsanthin Content	≥ 95% (HPLC)
Color Value	≥ 180 CU (spectrophotometric)
Appearance	Dark Red to Reddish-Brown Fine Powder
Solubility	Soluble in oils and organic solvents; water-dispersible in carrier form
Loss on Drying	≤ 5.0%
Heavy Metals (Pb) / Arsenic (As)	Pb ≤ 5 ppm / As ≤ 2 ppm
Total Plate Count	≤ 1,000 cfu/g
Botanical Source	Paprika fruit (Capsicum annuum L.)
Grade	Food Grade
Certificates / Shelf Life	HALAL, KOSHER, ISO 9001, ISO 22000, COA, MSDS / 24 Months

Color Value & Specification Guide

In the paprika color world, purity is not the whole story — color value is the language buyers actually speak. The same capsanthin content can be delivered at very different coloring strengths, which is why every serious spec sheet quotes a color value in CU (Color Units). Here is how to read it — and how to use it when comparing suppliers.

What Does “CU” Mean?

Color value is measured spectrophotometrically: the absorbance of a standardized dilution at the pigment’s absorption maximum, corrected for dilution factor and sample weight. The result is expressed in color units (CU). The higher the CU, the more coloring power per gram of powder.

How Color Value Works

Coloring strength and inclusion rate are inversely related: a 180 CU grade reaches the target shade with a fraction of the dose a 100 CU grade would need. For processors, higher CU means lower usage cost, smaller warehousing footprint, and more predictable batch-to-batch shade control.

E100+

The Grade Spectrum

Commercial paprika pigments are standardized across a spectrum — from E100 and E150 oil-soluble grades to high-color-value export grades at ≥ 180 CU. Oleoresin-type products are typically standardized to 7% total carotenoids. Matching the grade to the matrix (oil, water, or emulsion) is the key formulation decision.

Market Note — High-Color-Value Grades in Demand

As synthetic red phase-outs accelerate, demand for high-color-value paprika grades is surging: China supplies approximately 61% of global output, and export-grade (≥ 180 CU) material has been quoted around US$48/kg — up about 12% versus 2025 — on tightened EU regulation and the approaching Red No. 3 deadlines.

Product Highlights

95%

Purity You Can Measure

HPLC-standardized to ≥ 95% capsanthin as a single defined compound (CAS 465-42-9) — not a whole-oleoresin mixture. Predictable coloring performance, batch after batch.

180+

Color Value (CU)

High coloring strength per gram: reach the target red with less raw material, lower usage cost, and tighter shade control across production runs.

E160c

Regulatory Ready

Carries the EU food colorant designation E160c, recognized internationally as a natural color additive — the approved route when reformulating away from Red 40 and Red 3.

1.47B

Market Momentum

The global paprika extract market is estimated at roughly US$1.47B in 2026 (YoY +14.8%), with China supplying about 61% of world output — supply security built into the sourcing chain.

Certificate of Analysis (COA)

Product Name	Capsanthin Powder 95%	Batch No.	DM20260817
CAS No.	465-42-9	Test Date	2026-08-17
MFG Date	2026-08-10	Expiry Date	2028-08-09
Items	Specification	Methods	Results
Assay (HPLC)	≥ 95%	HPLC	95.6%
Color Value	≥ 180 CU	Spectrophotometry	182 CU
Appearance	Dark Red to Reddish-Brown Fine Powder	Visual	Conforms
Loss on Drying	≤ 5.0%	Gravimetric	3.4%
Heavy Metals (Pb)	≤ 5 ppm	ICP-MS	Conforms
Arsenic (As)	≤ 2 ppm	ICP-MS	Conforms
Total Plate Count	≤ 1,000 cfu/g	Plate Count	Conforms
E. coli / Salmonella	Negative / 25g	USP <62>	Conforms
Storage	Store in a cool, dry, dark, and sealed container below 25 Deg C. Protect from light.
Shelf Life	24 months from manufacturing date under recommended storage conditions.

Function & Market Benefits

The Red No. 3 Replacement

The FDA revoked Red No. 3 in 2025, with mandatory removal by January 15, 2027, and California’s AB 418 takes effect January 1, 2027. Capsanthin is the leading natural red stepping into that role — the same warm red shades consumers already know, without the petroleum chemistry.

Built for Processing

Heat-stable and light-stable across typical food processing conditions, and insensitive to pH shifts in the ranges used by most formulations — reliable shade performance in baked goods, sauces, beverages, and processed meats.

Clean-Label Compliant

Derived from paprika fruit with no synthetic intermediates — supports “no artificial colors” labeling as synthetic dyes are phased out, aligning with the clean-label movement now driving the global natural color market toward US$2.5B.

Concentrated Color Power

At ≥ 95% purity and ≥ 180 CU, this grade delivers intense red at low inclusion rates — less raw material per batch, smaller inventory, and stronger antioxidant contribution from the carotenoid fraction in the same ingredient.

Applications

Food & Beverage (> 60% of demand)

The core market: seasonings, meat products, savory snacks, hotpot base, beverages, and bakery. As the leading natural red, it is the primary replacement for Red 40 and Red 3 across reformulated product lines.

Cosmetics & Personal Care (fastest-growing)

The fastest-growing segment at roughly 15.6% CAGR: lipsticks, blushes, and skincare benefit from the natural red hue plus validated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions of capsanthin.

Feed Pigmentation

Red coloration for poultry egg yolk and aquaculture applications — a plant-derived answer to synthetic pigment bans in feed markets.

Natural Color Blending

Combined with beta-carotene and other natural pigments to build custom shade ranges from warm red to orange — one supplier, one shade system, full color portfolio.