β-Carotene

β-Carotene (beta carotene) is a type of pigment found in plants. It is the most common type of carotene. It gives vegetables and fruits an orange colour.

In food

β-Carotene is found in many fruits and vegetables. It causes the colour of many orange foods, including carrots, mangoes, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. It is also found in leaf vegetables, but chlorophyll covers up the colour.

Mammals change β-carotene into vitamin A during digestion. Unlike eating vitamin A directly, eating β-carotene is at a low risk of hypervitaminosis A because the digestive system only makes vitamin A when more is needed.