E160c or Paprika extract, capsanthin, capsorubin is a chemical compound, an ingredient included in the list of European food additives as  dye. 

 It is a natural carotenoid used primarily as a food coloring. It is derived from the plants Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens. It gives a deep orange color to food products and is used in a variety of products including cheese, orange juice, spice mixtures, sauces, sweets and emulsified processed meats.

The synthesis process takes place in several stages:

• Cultivation. Capsicum plants are grown to produce ripe fruits.
• Extraction. Ripe fruits are harvested and dyes are extracted, usually using a solvent such as ethanol.
• Purification. The extract is purified to remove any unwanted compounds and to concentrate dyes.
• Drying. The purified extract is dried to produce a powder that can be easily added to food.

In addition, it's worth noting that E160c is also used in the creation of training models in medical education, specifically in neurosurgery. It's used to simulate the color and consistency of brain tissue in these models. Furthermore, it's used in the food industry to color salted fish products to match the color of the muscle tissue of salmonids, as consumers prefer this color

Paprika extract safety

Paprika extract studies

• Molecular Formula: C₄₀H₅₆O₃
• Molecular Weight: 584.885 g/mol
• CAS: 465-42-9
• EC Number: 207-364-1
• PubChem Substance ID 329751805

Synonyms:

• Capsanthin
• Capsorubin
• VYIRVAXUEZSDNC-RDRUCRJNSA-N
• E160c
• (2E,4E,6E,8E,10E,12E,14E,16E,18E)-1-((1S,4S)-4-hydroxy-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentyl)-19-((S)-4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-1-enyl)-4,8,13,17-
• tetramethylnonadeca-2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18-nonaen-1-one
•  (3R,3′S,5′R)-3,3′-Dihydroxy-β,κ-caroten-6′-one

The most important studies on the content of capsanthin, present in paprika extract and common pepper:

Detection of quantitative trait loci for capsanthin content in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) at different fruit ripening stages.

E160c Paprika extract safety

The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food provides a scientific opinion re-evaluating the safety of paprika extract (E 160c). Paprika extract (E 160c) is a natural dye allowed as a food additive in the EU. The bioavailability of capsanthin and capsorubin from paprika extract is very low. Toxicological data were limited to a 13-week oral toxicity and one chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity study on a specified paprika extract (DN-933), representative of commercially produced paprika extracts used as food colour. Based on the new studies on the specified paprika extract (DN-933), compliant with good laboratory practice (GLP), which fulfil the requirements for genotoxicity assessment according to the EFSA guidelines on food additives, the Panel concluded that paprika extracts used as food colours do not raise a genotoxic concern. No reproductive and developmental toxicity studies are available, but evaluated by read-across. The Panel concluded in the chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity study that for the dose levels tested, paprika extract (E 160c) was not carcinogenic. Based on the lack of genotoxic potential, the Panel considered that the no‑observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for histopathological changes from this study could be used for establishing an acceptable daily intake (ADI). On this basis, the Panel established an ADI of 24 mg/kg bw/day for paprika extract (E 160c). Based on the analytical data on paprika extract N1, which is reported to be comparable to the specified paprika extract used in these studies (DN-933), the total carotenoid content was 7.1%. Using this value, the Panel established an ADI of 1.7 mg carotenoids/kg bw/day for paprika extract (E 160c). Exposures to paprika extract (E 160c) for the refined exposure assessment scenarios were below the ADI established by the Panel.

References________________________________________________

(1) EFSA : Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of paprika extract (E 160c) as a food additive -

EFSA Journal 2015;13(12):4320 [51 pp.].