Capsorubin is a natural red dye of the
xanthophyll
Xanthophylls (originally phylloxanthins) are yellow pigments that occur widely in nature and form one of two major divisions of the carotenoid group; the other division is formed by the carotenes. The name is from Greek (, "yellow") and (, "lea ...
class. As a
food coloring
Food coloring, or color additive, is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or drink. They come in many forms consisting of liquids, powders, gels, and pastes. Food coloring is used in both commercial food ...
, it has the
E number E160c(ii). Capsorubin is a
carotenoid found in
red bell pepper
The bell pepper (also known as paprika, sweet pepper, pepper, or capsicum ) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange ...
(''Capsicum annuum'') and a component of
paprika oleoresin
Paprika oleoresin (also known as paprika extract and oleoresin paprika) is an oil-soluble extract from the fruits of ''Capsicum annuum'' or '' Capsicum frutescens'', and is primarily used as a colouring and/or flavouring in food products. It is co ...
. Capsorubin is also found in some species of lily.
References
Carotenoids
{{organic-compound-stub