Beta-apo-8'-carotenal
What it does
Orange colour.
How it's made
Synthesised carotenoid.
Beta-apo-8'-carotenal is an orange-red carotenoid colour, related to beta-carotene, used to give orange and red-orange shades to foods such as drinks, sauces, dairy products and confectionery. It occurs naturally in some plants but is used in food as a manufactured pigment.
It is produced by chemical synthesis, building the carotenoid molecule step by step to match the natural structure; this gives a consistent, high-purity colour that is more reliably reproducible than extraction from plants would be. The molecule is closely related to beta-carotene but has slightly different colour properties, shifting towards orange-red.
The pigment is purified and, being fat-soluble, formulated into oil dispersions or water-dispersible beadlets for use in food. It gives slightly redder oranges than beta-carotene and, like other carotenoids, is a member of the vitamin A-related family, though it is used mainly for its colour.
Possible reactions
Generally safe.