FDA Status
Approved
Color Additive · CAS 465-42-9 · EU E160c
Paprika Extract
FDA status: Approved. EU: Approved. No U.S. state has enacted a specific ban yet.
5.0 / 5
Composite safety Generally Safe
Score 5 of 5
Paprika Extract: 5/5 (Generally Safe)
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Paprika Extract is FDA-approved, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it independently of federal policy. Its composite safety score is 5 out of 5 (Generally Safe), and the European Union separately classifies it as approved. It is more widely-used than most tracked additives.
- 84th percentile by tracked product prevalence
The verdict
Paprika Extract is FDA-approved, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it. It is more widely-used than most tracked additives (84th percentile by tracked product count).
- 5/5
- Generally Safe
- Approved
- FDA status
- 84th pctile
- by product prevalence
- 0
- state regulations
Paprika Extract (E160c), CAS 465-42-9, is a color additive additive holding a composite safety score of 5 out of 5 (Generally Safe). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Substances Added to Food inventory, it is currently classified as Approved, while the European Union lists it as Approved. This ingredient appears in approximately 632 tracked food products across our database. It is most commonly used as Sausages, cheese, snacks, sauces.
No U.S. state has enacted specific legislation targeting Paprika Extract to date, keeping federal FDA classification as the operative standard. State-level food safety legislation remains active nationally, and that picture may shift as new bills advance.
No major peer-reviewed health concerns are presently documented for Paprika Extract at consumer exposure levels, though scientific review is ongoing and positions can shift. The European Food Safety Authority has published an evaluation dated 2015-12-10. All figures above draw on FDA SAFFA inventory records, EU food additive regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, EFSA scientific opinions where published, and legislative records from individual U.S. states.
Regulatory Snapshot
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FDA Status | Approved | FDA SAFFA |
| EU Status | Approved | EC 1333/2008 |
| E-Number | E160c | EU additive register |
| CAS Number | 465-42-9 | CAS Registry |
| Category | Color Additive | FDA functional class |
| Composite Safety Score | 5 / 5 (Generally Safe) | PlainIngredients methodology |
| EFSA ADI | Not established | EFSA scientific opinion |
| U.S. State Actions | 0 states | State legislative records |
| Tracked Products | 632 | Open Food Facts (US) |
Values reflect official agency classifications as published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union's regulatory framework. See our methodology for scoring details.
EU Status
Approved
E160c
U.S. State Regulations
0 states
None enacted
Safety Assessment
Paprika Extract's 5/5 (Generally Safe) score reflects where this specific ingredient lands on that scale. The FDA has approved Paprika Extract for use in food products under specified conditions.
How Paprika Extract compares
Where a safety score of 5/5 falls among all 4,509 scored ingredients tracked on PlainIngredients.
Ingredients by safety score (Paprika Extract highlighted)
31 of 4,509 scored ingredients (0.7%) share a safety score of 5/5.
What is Paprika Extract?
Natural red-orange from paprika peppers.
Common Uses
Sausages, cheese, snacks, sauces
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paprika Extract safe to consume?
Paprika Extract has a safety score of 5/5 (Generally Safe). It is approved by the FDA for use in food. As with all food additives, moderation is advisable.
What is Paprika Extract used for in food?
Paprika Extract is commonly used as: Sausages, cheese, snacks, sauces. It belongs to the Color Additive category of food additives.
Is Paprika Extract banned in any US states?
Currently, no US states have enacted specific bans or regulations targeting Paprika Extract. However, state food safety legislation is evolving rapidly.
What is the difference between FDA and EU regulation of Paprika Extract?
The FDA classifies Paprika Extract as "Approved", while the EU status is "Approved" (E160c). The FDA and EU use separate evaluation frameworks, the EU often applies the precautionary principle, sometimes banning additives that remain approved in the US. Always check both jurisdictions when evaluating food additive safety.
What health concerns are associated with Paprika Extract?
No major health concerns have been widely documented for Paprika Extract at this time. It holds a safety score of 5/5 (Generally Safe). As with all food additives, ongoing scientific review may identify new findings.
How is the safety score for Paprika Extract calculated?
The safety score of 5/5 for Paprika Extract is a composite assessment based on FDA regulatory status, EU approval status, published scientific research on health effects, and state-level legislative actions. A score of 1 means "Banned / Avoid" and 5 means "Generally Safe." The score is updated as new regulatory actions or scientific evidence emerge.
Data Sources
- FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) Inventory
- EU Food Additive Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008
- State food safety legislation and bill records
Related Color Additive Ingredients
What to do about Paprika Extract
Use the regulatory picture, not a single score, to decide.
- Check the FDA status (Approved) and EU status (Approved) before assuming it is risk-free. How we score
- Compare it against the most-restricted additives in the U.S. supply. View rankings
- Scan a whole ingredient label at once to flag the concerning entries. Label checker
Safety scores summarise regulatory status and published concerns; they are not medical or dietary advice.
Every figure on PlainIngredients is rendered directly from FDA, EU, EFSA and U.S. state regulatory records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.