Beta Carotene

Grades and forms

Beta carotene is used in food supplements as a listed form of vitamin A and as a colour. It is bought in three physical forms: crystalline powder, oil suspension, and encapsulated beadlets or water-dispersible powders. The physical form, not the molecule, decides which product format it suits.

• Crystalline beta carotene: the pure substance. It is practically insoluble in water, dissolves poorly even in oils and oxidises readily. It is mainly a starting material for further processing.
• Oil suspension: micronised crystals dispersed in vegetable oil, usually with an added antioxidant. It suits softgels and other oil-based products.
• Beadlets and water-dispersible powders: beta carotene embedded in a carrier matrix with antioxidants. This is what most buyers of beta carotene powder need for tablets, capsules and powder blends.

Four points usually decide the choice. The first is the target format. The second is the declared beta carotene content per gram, stated on the specification sheet. The third is the carrier: some beadlets use gelatin, others use plant-derived carriers, which matters for vegetarian positioning. The fourth is the source (synthetic, fermentation, algal or plant), which affects documentation. Ask for the form you need in the quote form; SoleChem sends the specification sheet and certificate of analysis with its quote.

EU regulatory status

Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC lists beta-carotene among the permitted forms of vitamin A in food supplements. The permitted forms guide explains how Annex II works. Annex I of the Directive expresses vitamin A in µg RE (retinol equivalents), so a beta carotene amount must be converted before it is declared as vitamin A.

The EU has not harmonised maximum amounts of vitamins in food supplements. Member states set their own limits; check whether a given country treats beta carotene separately from preformed vitamin A. See maximum levels by EU country.

Beta carotene is also an authorised food colour, E160a, under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. Its purity criteria are in Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. If the material comes from an uncommon source, check whether Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 applies; the novel food guide covers how to check.

Formulation notes

Beta carotene is sensitive to oxygen, light, heat and trace metals. Degradation shows as colour loss. Encapsulated forms with antioxidants protect it far better than crystals. Plan a stability overage with the overage calculator.

• Tablets: beadlets compress well, but high compression force can rupture them. Ruptured beadlets expose the active and can cause orange speckling. See ingredients for tablets.
• Hard capsules: beadlets and dispersible powders blend and fill without special handling. Keep them apart from iron and copper salts in premixes, as metal ions speed oxidation.
• Softgels: the oil suspension is the usual choice. See ingredients for softgels.
• Effervescent tablets and drink powders: water-dispersible forms give a coloured dispersion. Check the shade in the final liquid. See ingredients for effervescent tablets.

Label arithmetic depends on the declared content of the chosen form. Divide the beta carotene amount per serving by the declared content, as a fraction, to get the ingredient mass. Then add overage. Use the vitamin unit converter to express the result in µg RE.

How beta carotene compares to other vitamin A forms

Beta carotene belongs to the carotenoids, a hydrocarbon class. The other vitamin A forms SoleChem lists are retinyl esters, also called preformed vitamin A. The vitamin A guide covers all forms.

Beta carotene gives a product a strong orange colour; retinyl esters do not. Check national rules, as maximum levels and label conversions may differ between the two classes.