INS 160a covers carotenes, the yellow-orange pigments found in carrots and many other plants. Sub-index (i) names beta-carotene made by chemical synthesis: the molecule is the same as the beta-carotene in vegetables, but it is built up in a factory rather than extracted from plants. In the EU it falls under E160a, and Codex lists it as a colour.
Beta-carotene does not dissolve in water, so for food use it is usually supplied as fine powders or emulsions that spread evenly through doughs, creams and fats, giving a butter-yellow to orange tone. On SeekSnack, Party Crispy Pie Butter Caramel labels it as a natural colour alongside annatto, while Denma filled cookie with fruits lists it with the artificial colours. Because the synthetic molecule is identical to the natural one, labelling practice varies.
