E161b is a chemical compound, an ingredient included in the list of European food additives as  dye. Its chemical name is Lutein, a fat-soluble xanthophyll carotenoid.

What it is used for and where

Natural substance found in vegetables with green leaves, egg yolk.

Medical

It is an antioxidant that protects the human eye by filtering out ultraviolet rays and protecting it from degenerative ageing diseases.

It is found in spinach, vegetables, fruit and eggs.

It has antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties particularly against retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, myopia (1)

Food

Lutein is generally obtained from the plant Tagetes erecta L., which belongs to the Asteraceae family and contains at least 80% carotenoids.

 Lutein is an ingredient included in the list of European food additives as a colour with the number E161b. The Panel on Food Additives noted the lack of reproductive toxicity and chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity studies and therefore, in the uncertainty, applied an ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) of 1 mg/kg body weight/day (2).

Lutein studies

Molecular Formula: C₄₀H₅₆O₂

Molecular Weight: 568.886 g/mol

CAS: 127-40-2

EC Number: 204-840-0

UNII: X72A60C9MT

PubChem Substance ID 329748359

MDL number: MFCD08435941

Beilstein Registry Number: 2068547

Synonyms:

• Luteine
• Bo-Xan
• beta,epsilon-Carotene-3,3'-diol, (3R,3'R,6'R)-
• (3R,3'R,6'R)-beta,epsilon-carotene-3,3'-diol
• ε-carotene-3,3′-diol
• ε-carotene
• α-Carotene-3,3′-diol, β
• all-trans-Xanthophyll
• Xanthophyll
• beta,epsilon-Carotene-3,3'-diol
• NSC 59193

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Li LH, Lee JC, Leung HH, Lam WC, Fu Z, Lo ACY. Lutein Supplementation for Eye Diseases. Nutrients. 2020 Jun 9;12(6):1721. doi: 10.3390/nu12061721.

(2) EFSA Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of lutein (E 161b) as a food additive  EFSA-Q-2008-787  doi  10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1678