Cyanidin
A very safe, natural berry extract.
- Category
- Colours
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
What it is
A natural reddish-purple anthocyanin pigment found in many red berries.
How it is used in food
Cyanidin is the most abundant anthocyanidin in the human diet, giving blackberries, elderberries, cherries, red cabbage and purple corn their crimson-to-magenta colour. As a colouring, it lets manufacturers replace synthetic red dyes with a fruit-derived pigment; as a dietary compound it is a potent radical scavenger, and cyanidin-rich foods are associated with the cardiovascular benefits attributed to berry intake.
Commonly found in- Beverages
- Jams
- Fruit preparations
Health and safety
Completely safe; these are the natural antioxidants found in healthy dark berries.
EFSA's re-evaluation of anthocyanins (2013) found no safety concern and concluded that intake from added colours is small compared with what people already eat in fruit and vegetables. Bioavailability is low — most cyanidin glycosides reach the colon, where gut microbes convert them to protocatechuic acid and other metabolites that account for much of the measured biological activity.
Regulatory status
| Region | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia & New Zealand FSANZ |
Permitted | Permitted under the FSANZ Food Standards Code. |
| European Union EFSA / European Commission |
Not approved | Not on the EU authorised list of food additives (Annex II). |
| United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration) |
Permitted | Authorised for food use by the FDA (often GRAS for standard additives). |
Identification on labels
- E-number
- E163a
Worth knowing
Anthocyanidins behave like pH indicators: cyanidin is red in acidic conditions, violet near neutral, and turns blue-green in alkaline ones. This is exactly why red cabbage turns bluish in tap water and can be brought back to purple with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar.
Conclusion
A very safe, natural berry extract.
Is it in what you are buying?
ScanWise reads the barcode and tells you which additives a product actually contains, and what they do to its score.
Open the appEntry last reviewed 2026-07-28.
← All additives