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Provitamin A

Low concern

Provitamin A carotenoids are essential nutrients with broad safety. Unlike preformed vitamin A (retinol), high carotenoid intake from food is not associated with toxicity.

Found in

12 products

What it is

Carotenoid precursors (primarily beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin) the body converts to vitamin A (retinol).

Vitamin fortificant and natural color (beta-carotene = E160a).

Why it's flagged

high-dose beta-carotene supplements increase lung cancer risk in smokers

What regulators actually say

"High intakes of beta-carotene from supplements (but not foods) increase the risk of lung cancer in current and former smokers."

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin A — ods.od.nih.gov

Regulatory status

United States — FDA

Beta-carotene is GRAS as a nutrient (21 CFR 184.1245) and color additive (21 CFR 73.95)

European Union — EFSA

E160a permitted as additive; ADI established for synthetic beta-carotene

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