Betanin is characterized as a dye by its bright red color. In this article you will learn what there is to know about the substance, what it is contained in and how you can use it.

Betanin is one of the natural food colorings and is also known as beet red or betanoin. Betanin is approved as a harmless E number in the EU via the number E162, which you can use to identify it on lists of ingredients. Betanin is obtained from beetroot because it contains a particularly large amount of betanin. The dye is very soluble in water and is sensitive to light and heat.

Betanin is one of the betalains, one of the nitrogenous plant pigments. They are often associated with health benefits in food: the dye has antioxidant properties that are said to have a protective effect against arteriosclerosis and cancer.

If you eat a lot of betanin or beetroot, your urine or stool can turn red. You don’t need to worry about this discoloration as it is harmless.

What foods contain betanine?

As already mentioned, betanin is found in beets, but also in yellow beets and prickly pears. As a coloring agent, it is often used in the following products:

sauces
soups
yogurt
chewing gum
Ice
Sweets
reddish noodles or pasta
Herring salad
pickled vegetables

How can you use betanine?

To take advantage of betanin’s intense red color, you can use either ready-made or homemade beetroot juice, juice concentrate, or even beetroot powder. Depending on how much of the dye of your choice you use, you can achieve a color spectrum from light pink to pink to deep red. Note that the beetroot juice has a certain taste of its own. Basically, however, you don’t need much for coloring, so the taste can quickly disappear – especially if you use other spice components. Beetroot powder offers a tasteless alternative. It is hardly noticeable in the taste and can at most bring a slightly sweet to earthy note.

You can use betanine as a dye in the following ways:

for food, for example homemade pasta, pastries, dips or pickled vegetables
for cosmetic products, for example homemade lipstick, lip gloss, hair color or rouge
for objects and textiles, for example for wood, cloths or T-shirts or to dye Easter eggs naturally
Note: If you work with beetroot, there may well be unwanted spills. When dyeing, it is best to wear clothes that can get dirty and work with a little caution overall. If you still need to remove stains, you can find more information here: Removing beetroot stains: tips and home remedies.