Is E163 (anthocyanins) halal?
E163 is halal. Anthocyanins are a family of red and blue pigments extracted from grape skin, red cabbage or similar plant sources. Extraction can use water or, less commonly, methanol or ethanol as a solvent — but our reference table lists this as settled without the process caveat it applies elsewhere.
Also known as / other names
anthocyaninsgrape skin extractE 163
What E163 (anthocyanins) actually is
Anthocyanins are the pigments behind the red of grape skin, the purple of red cabbage, and the blue-red of berries. As a food colouring they replace synthetic reds and purples in products marketed as naturally coloured.
Extraction is typically done with water. Methanol or ethanol can also be used as a solvent for a more complete extraction, depending on the producer and the plant source.
Why the alcohol detail doesn't change the verdict here
This looks structurally similar to E100 (curcumin), where an alcohol extraction solvent is exactly why we mark the entry uncertain. The difference is what each entry says: for E100 the alcohol-solvent question is still open; for E163 it is not treated as an open concern.
We report what the reference says rather than manufacturing symmetry between entries that happen to share a production detail. If your own standard treats any possible alcohol-solvent use as disqualifying regardless of source documentation, apply that consistently across both E100 and E163 — but our position on E163 is halal, unqualified.
How to check it yourself
- No check is needed under our current position.
- If the extraction-solvent question matters to you specifically, the same caution you'd apply to E100 is a reasonable personal standard to extend here, even though our verdict does not require it.
Where you'll run into it
Berry and fruit yoghurts, soft drinks and juices, sweets and confectionery, some bakery fillings and glazes.
Common questions
Does E163 contain alcohol?
The finished pigment does not. Methanol or ethanol can be used as an extraction solvent for some plant sources, in the same category of manufacturing step as E100's, though our table does not flag E163 for it.
Why is E163 halal but E100 is uncertain, if both can use alcohol solvents?
Because the two entries say different things. For E100 the alcohol-solvent question is still unresolved; for E163 it is not treated as an open caveat. We follow what each entry states rather than assuming they should match.
Sources
- EU register of authorised food additives — E163 identity and permitted uses
- EFSA — food additives — anthocyanin extraction and composition
Best-effort guidance compiled from sourced references — not a religious ruling and not a certification. Schools of thought differ, and manufacturers change formulations without notice. Please verify with the producer or your local authority when it matters. How we decide a verdict.