Canthaxanthin
A reddish-orange pigment used in food and animal feed
No single value: Canthaxanthin is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, orange.
Canthaxanthin is a reddish-orange pigment from the carotenoid family, first found in edible mushrooms and present in algae, bacteria, crustaceans, and some fish. It is used as a colouring in foods and animal feeds, especially for poultry and farmed fish, and is known for its antioxidant properties.
- First found in edible mushrooms
- Used to colour poultry feed and farmed fish
- Acts as an antioxidant in animal tissues
- Approved as food colouring in the US and EU
- Produced from beta-carotene by adding oxygen
What colour is Canthaxanthin?
Canthaxanthin is a pigment that gives a reddish-orange colour. It belongs to the carotenoid group, which are natural compounds found in plants and some animals. This pigment is found in mushrooms, algae, bacteria, and certain fish. It is used to add colour to foods and animal feeds, making products like egg yolks and fish flesh appear more vibrant.
Where does Canthaxanthin come from?
The pigment was first discovered in edible mushrooms. Its name comes from its chemical structure as a carotenoid. Over time, it has been identified in a range of living things, including algae and crustaceans. Its commercial use grew as people learned to produce it synthetically for food and feed.
How is Canthaxanthin made?
Canthaxanthin can be made by certain organisms, but for commercial use, it is often produced in laboratories. The process starts with beta-carotene, a common pigment in plants. A specific enzyme adds oxygen to beta-carotene, turning it into canthaxanthin. This can be done using bacteria or yeast that have been modified to carry out the reaction.
Where Canthaxanthin is used
This pigment is added to animal feeds, especially for poultry and farmed fish, to enhance the colour of egg yolks and fish flesh. It is also used as a food colouring in some countries. Its use is regulated, with limits on how much can be added to animal feed. It is not approved for food use in Australia and New Zealand.
Orange around the world
What the orange family means from country to country.
On 30 September people wear orange shirts to remember the children sent to residential schools. Phyllis Webstad's new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at one.
Mourning and deathPolitics and protestGriefSource: National Day for Truth and ReconciliationOrange is also the colour of the New Democratic Party. Its sweep of Quebec seats in the 2011 election was called the Orange Wave.
Politics and protestSource: New Democratic PartyOrange and black are the colours of Halloween, 31 October: orange for pumpkins and autumn leaves, black for night.
Festival and celebrationDanger and warningFearSource: HalloweenThe lowest band of the flag is orange, often called apricot, after the national fruit. The constitution says it stands for the creative talent and hard work of the people.
Politics and protestNature and renewalPrideSource: Flag of ArmeniaThe flag is split corner to corner. The orange half stands for the Buddhist tradition, and the white dragon across the middle for purity.
Sacred and holySource: Flag of BhutanThe flag shows the island in copper orange on white. The colour recalls copper, which was mined here in ancient times and may have taken its name from Cyprus.
Politics and protestNature and renewalSource: Flag of CyprusShades and relatives of Canthaxanthin
Canthaxanthin is related to other carotenoids like astaxanthin, which is also used in fish feed. While both pigments give reddish hues, astaxanthin is more common in salmon. Canthaxanthin is sometimes used together with astaxanthin to achieve the desired colour in farmed fish.
Questions people ask about Canthaxanthin
What colour is canthaxanthin?
Canthaxanthin gives a reddish-orange colour. It is used to make foods and animal products appear more vibrant.
Where does the name canthaxanthin come from?
The name reflects its place in the carotenoid family, a group of naturally coloured compounds found in plants and some animals.
How is canthaxanthin made?
It is usually produced in labs from beta-carotene, using enzymes that add oxygen to change its structure.
Where is canthaxanthin used?
It is mainly used in animal feeds for poultry and farmed fish, and as a food colouring in some countries.
Is canthaxanthin safe?
Authorities in the US and EU have reviewed its safety and set limits for its use in food and feed.
Good reading and sources
- Canthaxanthin on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Canthaxanthin", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). everyrang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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