Paper No.

13 FOOD ADDITIVES

Module No. 6 Colourings for the food industry - Natural colours

Introduction

Coloration of food, either using natural or synthetic color additives, should indicate good quality,
assist marketing, and satisfy consumers. Colorants are added to food matrices in specific
technological steps in order to obtain and maintain the appropriate desired colors of food
products. Colorants are also used to restore natural food colors lost by exposure to air, light,
temperature, moisture, or improper storage conditions.

Food colorants can also provide appropriate color to colorless foods, protect flavors and vitamins
(due to their antioxidant potential) during storage, or enhance the general appeal and nutritional
value of foods. Color additives are classified as dyes (pigments) or lakes. Both types can be used
as primary colors (pure colors used without dilution) or secondary colors (blended primary
colorants diluted with solvents or other additives). Dyes are commercial water-soluble pigments,
used as powders, granules, or liquids. They are generally used in beverages, dry mixes, baked
goods, confections, dairy products, etc.

Color is an important indicator of food quality. The consumer associates food color with good
processing and safety.

The color of food is the result of the presence of natural pigments or of added synthetic organic
dyes. Natural colorants include the pigments occurring in unprocessed food, and those that can
be formed upon heating, processing, or storage.

Natural colours

The natural pigments may be divided into four, not necessarily homogenous, groups:
Isoprenoid derivatives - carotenoids
Porphyrins - chlorophylls and hemes
Phenolics - anthocyanins, betalains, quinones, curcuminoids
Miscellaneous naturally occurring colorants - riboflavins, caramels, melanoidins and
melanins

Natural pigments are formulated either as dyes (hydrophilic powders or lipophilic oleoresins) or
lakes.

Use of natural colours in few countries

The natural colorants included in the United States (US) category are annatto extract, β-apo-8′-
carotenal, β-carotene, beet powder, canthaxanthin, caramel color, carrot oil, cochineal extract
(carmine), cottonseed flour (toasted, partially defatted, and cooked), ferrous gluconate, fruit
juice, grape color extract, grape skin extract (enocyanin), paprika, paprika oleoresin, riboflavin,
saffron, titanium dioxide, turmeric, turmeric oleoresin, vegetable juice.
Examples of some exempt natural colourings include grape skin extract for restricted use only in
beverages; marigold (Tagetes) meal can be used only for chicken food. The list of natural
colourants with their specific properties is shown in Table 1. The properties of natural colourants
is highlighted in Table 2.

Table 1. List of natural colourants with their specific properties

Natural food EU code Colour hue Source and properties
colourant
Curcumin, E 100 Orange- Plant rhizome (Curcuma longa); strong odor
turmeric, turmeric yellow and bitter, sharp taste
oleoresin
Riboflavin (ii) E 101 Yellow- Semi-synthetic, obtained from bacterial
riboflavin-5- green fermentation (Blakeslea trispora and
phosphate Ashbya gossypi); fluorescent lightsensitive,
bitter taste
Carminic acid and E 120 Orange to Female cochineal insect
carmine, red, pink to
Cochineal extract red
Chlorophyll grass E 140 Green to Lucerne and nettle; labile to photo-oxidation
olive
Chlorophyllins E 141 Bluish green Grass, lucerne, and nettle; not claimed as
(copper complex natural on food labels
of chlorophyll)
Caramel colours (I, E 150a-d Brown Food-grade carbohydrates
II – sulfite, III –
ammonia, IV –
ammonia sulfite)
Carbo medicinalis E 153 Black Burned plant material
(vegetable carbon)
Carotenes E 160a Yellow to Palm oil or fermentation of Blakeslea
(mixtures orange trispora and Ashbya gossypi; good pH
including β- stability, oil-soluble, easily oxidized
carotene), β-
carotene
Bixin, Norbixin E 160b Orange-red Seeds of annatto (Bixa orellana)
Annatto extracts
Capsanthin, E 160c Reddish Paprika (Capsicum annum L.)

capsorubin, (Carmine)
paprika, paprika orange
oleoresin
Lycopene E 160d Orange red Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum)
β-Apo-8-carotenal E 160e Orangish red Semi-synthetic, from β-carotene
Ethyl ester of β- E 160f Orangish red Semi-synthetic, from β-carotene
apo-8-carotenoic
acid
Canthaxanthin E 161a Orange and Salmon, shrimp; semi-synthetic from β-
 pink carotene
Lutein E 161b Orange and Aztec marigold (Tagetes sp.) petals
yellow
Betanin, E 162 Pink to red Red beet root; heat, light and oxygen-
Dehydrated beets sensitive
Anthocyanins, E 163 Pink-red to Elderberries, black grape skins, black
grape color extract, mauve-blue carrots, red cabbages; pH-dependent, heat-
grape skin extract and oxidation-sensitive
Calcium carbonate E 170 White Mineral rocks; surface dye
Titanium dioxide E 171 White Mineral rocks; surface dye
Iron oxides and E 172 Yellow, red, Mineral rocks; surface dye
hydroxides, black
synthetic
Aluminium E 173 White Mineral rocks; surface dye
Silver E 174 White Surface dye
Gold E 175 Yellow Surface dye
Rubin BK E 180 Red Surface dye
Paprika No Red Paprika
Saffron No Yellow- Saffron
orange

The detailed description of few natural colourants is given below.

Caramel

Caramel color (E 150) is a dark brown or even black product used for centuries in home cooking
to provide color and specific aromas to foods. Caramel shall be prepared from the food grade
carbohydrates or their combinations (sucrose, glucose, fructose, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup,
molasses, starch hydrolysates and fractions there of and/or polymer thereof) in the presence of
food grade acids, alkalis or salts. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid material resulting from the carefully controlled heat
treatment of the food-grade carbohydrates namely dextrose, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup,
molasses, starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof, sucrose.

According to FSSAI, the four types of caramel include:

Type-I: Plain caramel shall be prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without acids or
alkalis, or their salts. Ammonium or sulphite compounds are not used.
Type-II: Caustic sulphite caramel shall be prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without
acids or alkalis or their salt in the presence of sulphite compounds; ammonium compounds are
not used.
Type – III: Ammonia process caramel shall be prepared by heating carbohydrates with or
without acids or alkalis or their salts in the presence of ammonium compounds; sulphites are not
used.
Type-IV: Ammonia sulphite caramel shall be prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without
acids or alkalis or their salts in the presence of both sulphite and ammonium compounds.
Table 2. Properties of natural colourants used in food industry
Colourant Colour Color Mol. Wt. Melting Solubility
Index no. point
β-carotene Yellow 75130 536.9 183oC Soluble in carbon disulphide,
benzene and chloroform,
moderately soluble in normal
hexane, cyclohexane, ether,
petroleum ether and oils;
practically insoluble in
methanol; insoluble in water
Chlorophyll Green 75810 893.5 (for Soluble in ethanol, ether,
a) chloroform and benzene;
907.5 (for insoluble in water
b)
Caramel Dealt separately
Annatto Natural 75120 394.5 Norbixin is water soluble,
orange (Bixin380.5 bixin is fat soluble
(Norbixin)
Riboflavin Yellow to 376.4 280oC Slightly soluble in water,
Orange- more soluble in saline
yellow solution and in 10 % (w/v)
solution of urea, sparingly
soluble in alcohol,
practically insoluble in
chloroform and ether; but
soluble in dilute solution of
alkali hydroxides.

Four classes of caramels are recognized depending on the accelerator used: burnt sugar, caustic,
ammonia, and ammonium sulfite. The first is used mainly as a flavoring additive, and the other
as food colorants.

Caramel colors are the most widely used food coloring agents found in a wide range of foods and
beverages. Caramel represents a significant segment of the color market; about 11% of total food
color production. It is obtained by heating sugars in various conditions. Caramel is the colorant
soluble in water and insoluble in organic solvents.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits the use of caramel color in food in
general. Over 80% of the caramel produced in the United States is used to color soft drinks,
particularly colas and root beers.

Carotenoids

The most commonly used natural carotenoid extracts for foodstuffs are annatto, paprika, and
saffron. Many other sources, including alfalfa, carrot, tomato, citrus peel, and palm oil, are also
utilized. The properties of carotenoid colourants with their vitamin A activity is shown in Table
3.
Annatto [E 160(b)] is the orange-yellow, oil-soluble natural pigment extracted from the pericarp
of the seed of the Bixa orellana L. tree. The major coloring component of this extract is the
diapocarotenoid bixin, Several other pigments, mainly degradation products of bixin, are also
present, including transbixin, norbixin, and trans-norbixin. Bixin is a methyl ester of a dibasic
fatty acid, which on treatment with alkalis is hydrolyzed to water-soluble norbixin. Two types of
annatto are therefore available: the extract in oil containing bixin, and a powdered, water-soluble
form containing norbixin.

Annatto butter color: Annatto extract in oil, as solution or suspension, is prepared by extraction
of the outer coating of seeds with vegetable oils (singly or mixtures). The colour of annatto
solution in amyl acetate at a dilution of 1:1000 (m/v), when measured in a lovibond tintometer
with a 1 cm cell spectrophotometrically/calorimeterically shall be as follows: Yellow units
(Min.) - 5.0; Red units (Min.) - 0.4.

Annatto cheese colour: Water soluble annatto colour is prepared by extraction of the outer
coating of the seeds with aqueous alkali (NaOH or KOH – 0.5-3.0%). The colour of the solution
in 0.1 N NaOH or KOH at a dilution of 1:1000 (m/v) measured in a 1-cm cell shall be: Yellow
units (Min.) – 5.0; Red units (Min.) – 0.4.

Paprika oleoresin [E 160(c)]: is the orange-red, oil-soluble extract from sweet red peppers
(Capsicum annum). The major coloring compounds are xanthophylls: capsanthin, capsorubin as
their dilaurate esters, and β-carotene. The presence of characteristic flavoring and spicy
pungency components limits application of this extract in foodstuffs.

Raw, unrefined palm oil contains 0.05 to 0.2% carotenoids with α- and β-carotenes, in a ratio of
2:3, as the main constituents. It is particularly used as a colorant for margarine.

Saffron: It is an extract of flowers of Crocus sativus, contains the water-soluble pigment crocin,
the digentiobioside of apocarotenic acid (crocetin), as well as zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and
characteristic flavoring compounds. The yellow color of this pigment is attractive in beverages,
cakes, and other bakery products. However, use of this colorant is restricted by its high price.

Carrot extracts (E 160a): Carrot extracts, carrot oil, and related plant extracts are also available
in the market. Their main components are β- and α-carotenes have been developed. Purified
crystalline products contain 20% α-carotene and 80% β-carotene. They may be used for coloring
fat-based products, such as dispersion of microcrystals in oil.

Individual carotenoid compounds such as β-carotene, β-apo-8′-carotenal, β-apo-8’-carotenoic

acid ethyl ester, and canthaxanthin are synthesized for use as food colorants for edible fats and
oils. The carotenoid pigments, in combination with surface active agents, are also available as
micro-emulsions for coloring foods with high water content.
Table 3. Properties and vitamin A activity of carotenoid colorants
Carotenoid Color Solubility in oil λmax Vitamin A
(g/100 cm3) at activity (IU/mg)
20oC
β-carotene Yellow 0.05-0.08 455-456 1.67
β-Apo-8′- Yellow to 0.70 448-450 1.20
carotenic Orange
acid ethyl ester
β-Apo-8′- Orange to Red 0.70-1.50 460-462 1.20
carotenal
Canthaxanthin Red 0.005 468-472 0

Turmeric and Curcumin

Turmeric is an aromatic spice obtained from the dried ground rhizomes of Curcuma longa L., a
perennial shrub. Curcuma longa L has bright green leaves, conical yellow flowers, and reaches
maturity after 7 to 10 months, when rhizomes are harvested. The dried ground rhizomes yield a
bright yellow powder also known as yellow ginger or Indian saffron. It has the special property
of imparting both color and flavor.

The main compounds involved in color are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and

bisdemethoxycurcumin. The three commercial forms based on Curcuma longa L. are turmeric
powder, turmeric oleoresin, and curcumin powder. Commercially available products called
curcumins contain curcumin (1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) as
the major component (~ 77% of total curcuminoids). Turmeric and curcumin are insoluble in
water but soluble in alkalis, alcohols, and glacial acetic acid, and are used mainly as food color
and secondarily as a spice. All turmeric pigments have good heat stability, but they are light
sensitive.

Turmeric is used mainly as a spice, to give specific flavor and color, but also as an additive for
maintaining freshness and improving the palatability and shelf lives of perishable foods.
Turmeric powder is obtained from dried rhizomes. The turmeric powder standardized with
maltodextrin contains 8 to 9% curcumin. The stability of turmeric under light and alkaline
conditions have been increased by the addition of acids (gallic, citric, gentisic) as stabilizers. The
oleoresin is obtained from turmeric powder by solvent extraction; the solvents used are ethyl
acetate, acetone, carbon dioxide, dichloromethane, n-butanol, methanol, ethanol, and hexane and
their mixtures; isopropanol and trichloroethylene is also one good mixture. After filtration the
solvents must be completely removed from the oleoresin.

Turmeric powder and turmeric oleoresin contain pigments, flavor compounds (volatile oils),
resins, and fats. Both can be used as spices and as food colorants. Curcumin powder (E 100) is
obtained from the turmeric oleoresin by crystallization. It appears as an orange-yellow crystalline
powder with a melting point at 179 to 182ºC. It is soluble in ethanol, propylene glycol, and
acetone and insoluble in water. Curcumin powder must contain minimum of 90% pigment.
Generally turmeric powder is used in mustard paste and curry powder as a colorant and for
aroma. Oleoresin is added to mayonnaise, to breading of fish and potato croquettes, and to
nonalcoholic beverages. However, curcumin (E 100) is added to products where turmeric is
incompatible, such as cheese, butter, ice cream, and some beverages.

Other applications are coloring mustard, pickles, mayonnaise, salad dressings, oils, and
cauliflower. In the European Union (EU), curcumin is permitted in alcoholic beverages (quantum
satis), jam, jellies, marmalades (100 mg/kg), sausages, pâtés (20 mg/kg), dried potato granules
and flakes, non-alcoholic drinks, and confectionery. The FDA approved turmeric powder (CI
73600) and turmeric oleoresin (CI 73615) but not curcumin powder for general use in foods.
Turmeric powder is used in the 0.2 to 60 ppm range and the oleoresin in the 2 to 640 ppm range.
According to Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the acceptable daily intake
(ADI) was established at 0 to 3 mg kg/body weight. Curcumin is a potent candidate to replace
the synthetic tartrazine pigment.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll, the green pigment of plants, is extracted and widely used as a colouring matter for
various food items. In higher plants and algae, except the blue-greens, chlorophyll is found in
chloroplasts, while in blue-green algae and photosynthetic bacteria, it is located on intracellular
lamellae. In living plant tissues, in chloroplasts, chlorophyll is complexed with polypeptides,
phospholipids, and tocopherols and held within hydrophobic membranes.

Typical leaf material contains about 2.5 mg/g total chlorophylls, 0.3 mg/g xanthophylls, and 0.15
mg/g carotenes. In many fruits, chlorophyll is present in the unripe state, and gradually
disappears during ripening as the yellow and red carotenoids take over.

Chlorophylls are derivatives of dihydroporphirin chelated with a centrally located Mg ion. Cu or

Zn ions retain the green color. The chlorophyll preparations for the food colorant market are
mainly obtained from alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and nettles (Urtica dioica). Brown seaweeds are
a good source of chlorophyll because as in single-cell phytoplankton, they contain chlorophyll c,
which is more stable than chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Acetone, methanol, ethanol, and
chlorinated solvents are used as extracting vehicles. The yield of extraction is ~20% in which
chlorophylls, pheophytins, and other degradation products are included.

Chlorophylls are approved in Codex legislation as food additives for different applications. The
oil-soluble chlorophylls, as well as the water-soluble chlorophyllins, a semi-synthetic mixture of
Na and Cu salts derived from chlorophyll, have good stability in light and heat, and moderate
stability with respect to both acid and alkalis. Their application as food colors is in canned
products, confectionery, soups, and dairy products.

Anthocyanins

They are present in almost all higher plants and are the dominant pigments in many fruits and
flowers, giving them red, violet, or blue color. Substitution of the hydroxyl and methoxyl groups
affects the color of the anthocyanins. An increase in the number of hydroxyl groups tends to
deepen the color to a more bluish shade. An increase in the number of methoxyl groups increases
redness. In the presence of metals, anthocyanins can form purplish-blue or slate-gray pigments
called lakes.

The examples of naturally occurring anthocyanidins include Pelargonidin (Orange color),

cyaniding, Peonidin (orange-red color), Delphinidin, Petunidin and Malvidin (bluish-red color).
The fruits potent in anthocyanins include Blackberry, Bilberry, Blackcurrant, Chokeberry,
Cranberry, Strawberry and Red grapes.

Anthocyanins appear to have low stability in all products manufactured from fruits. This limits
the use of these pigments as food colorants. Anthocyanin concentrate may be used as a food
colorant at a pH less than 4.

Betalains

These consist of red-violet betacyanins (λmax ~ 540 nm) and yellow betaxanthin (λmax ~ 480
nm). The betanin, glucoside of betanidin, is the main betalain pigment in red beetroot and
accounts for 75 to 95% of total pigments in red beets. The other red pigments are isobetanin (C-
15 epimer of betanin), prebetanin and isoprebetanin. The latter two are sulfate monoesters of
betanin and isobetanin, respectively. The major yellow pigments are vulgaxanthin I and II. High
betalain content in beetroot, on an average 1% of the total solids, makes these vegetables a
valuable source of food colorants.

The color stability of betanin solution is influenced by pH and heating. Betanin is stable at pH 4
to 6, but thermostability is greatest between pH 4 and 5. Light and air have a degrading effect on
betanin.

Beetroot red (E162), available as liquid beetroot concentrate and as beetroot concentrate
powders, is suitable for products of relatively short shelf life, which do not undergo severe heat
treatment, e.g., meat and soybean protein products, ice cream, and gelatin desserts.

Red beet betalains consisting of betanin, isobetanin, prebetanin, and smaller quantities of
vulgaxanthin I and vulgaxanthin II, respectively, were proposed as viable alternatives to
synthetic colorants, especially in low-acid foods such as dairy and meat products. In the latter
commodities, red beet was even considered as a replacement for nitrite to achieve reddening, but
it lacks the antimicrobial activity of nitrite. Moreover, red beet addition contributes to higher
nitrate levels of the particular food, which represents a potential source of nitrite.

Betalains possess high molar extinction coefficients and their coloring power is comparable to
that of synthetic colorants. Compared with the latter, betalains are not toxic, nor do they cause
allergic reactions.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin (E 101) is an orange-yellow crystalline powder, intensely bitter tasting, which is very
slightly soluble in water and ethanol, affording a bright green-yellow fluorescent solution.
Riboflavin is stable under acid conditions, but unstable in alkaline solution and when exposed to
light. Reduction produces a colorless leuco form, but color is regenerated again in contact with
air.

Riboflavin-5′-phosphate sodium salt is much more soluble in water than unesterified riboflavin,
and is not so intensely bitter. It is one of the physiologically active forms of vitamin B2. It is
rather more unstable to light than riboflavin. Both forms can be used as coloring and as an
enriching food additive to cereal, dressing, and cheese.

Cochineal, Carmine

Cochineal (E 120 – Quinone pigment) is the red coloring matter extracted from the dried bodies
of female insects of the species Dactylopius coccus Costa or Coccus cacti L. These insects are
cultivated on cactus plants in Peru, Equador, Guatemala and Mexico. The major pigment of
cochineal is polyhydroxy anthraquinone C-glycoside, carminic acid, which may be present at up
to 20% of the dry weight of the mature insects. About 80,000 to 100,000 insects provide 1 kg of
raw cochineal dye. Better quality and higher commercial value of cochineal correlate with a
higher ratio of red to yellow pigments.

Cochineal pigments are extracted from dried bodies of female insects with water or with ethanol;
the result is a red solution that is concentrated in order to obtain the 2-5% carminic acid required
for commercial cochineal. For carmine lakes, the minimum content of carminic acid is 50%.

Cochineal extract or carminic acid is rarely used as a coloring material for food, but are usually
offered in the form of their lakes. Aluminum (Al) complexes (lakes) can be prepared with
various ratios of cochineal and Al varying from 8:1 to 2:1, having corresponding shades from
pale yellow to violet. In solution at pH 4, carminic acid is yellow to orange, depending on
concentration. At alkaline pH and in the presence of metals (mainly aluminium), it becomes
bluish red. Carmines are defined as the lakes of carminic acid with various metals. The most
used is carmine, the aluminium lake of carminic acid.

Cochineal carmine is insoluble in cold water, dilute acids, and alcohol, and slightly soluble in
alkali giving a purplish-red solution. The shade becomes bluer at higher pH. Cochineal carmine
is stable in light and heat, but the stability to SO2 is poor.

In powdered form, carmine can be used for coloring various instant foodstuffs in alkaline
solutions, and in ammonia for coloring different foods. Cochineal, carminic acid and carmines
are approved as food colorants in the EU. The amount permitted in food ranges from 50 to 500
mg/kg. Carminic acid and carmine are considered very good food colorants due to their high
stability and tinctorial properties. Solutions of carminic acid are yellow to orange, while
carmines show various stable brilliant red hues. In the EU, the use of cochineal derivatives is
authorized for coloring alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, candied fruits and vegetables, red
fruit preserves, confectionery, ices, bakery products, cheeses, jam, jellies, marmalades, fruit-
flavored cereals, and other products. It is currently the most robust red colorant among the
authorized natural colorants, and its affinity for proteins means that it is an excellent colorant for
dairy products. Cochineal added to processed pork meat provides a color similar to meat colored
with erythrosine, but the color stability is higher. Cochineal can replace synthetic pigments
(tartrazine, azorubine) for coloring jellies. In the US, cochineal derivatives are permitted in
amounts ranging from 0.05 to 1.0%. The JECFA considered acceptable a total ADI of 0 to 5
mg/kg of body weight for carmines as ammonium, Ca, K, or Na salts.

Food additive regulations

The permission to use food colorants is bound to their safety and is strictly regulated by specific
laws controlled at national and international levels. The natural colourants permitted by FSSAI
for use in India and in US is listed in Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.

Table 4. Natural colourants permitted by FSSAI

Color type Examples
Carotene and Carotenoids β-carotene, β-apo-8'- carotenal, Methyl ester of β-apo-8'-carotenoic
acid, Ethyl ester of β-apo-8'-carotenoic acid, Canthaxanthin
Chlorophyll
Riboflavin
Caramel
Annatto Bixin, Norbixin
Saffron
Curcumin or Turmeric

Table 5. Application of natural colourants in food products as per US regulations

Food product Colourant used (allowed) Maximum level (ppm)
Malt bread Caramel colours (E 150a-d) NL
Breakfast cereals Carminic acid Caramel 25-200
color-III, Carotenes, Bixin,
Norbixin, Capsanthin,
Betanin, Anthocyanins
Chips (potato) Curcumin, Turmeric NL
Butter Carrot extract NL
Margarine, emulsions of fat in Curcumin, Turmeric 10 for E 160b
water
Cheese Carotenes, Bixin, Norbixin 1.5-50 for E 160b
Vinegars and aromatic wines Caramel colors (E 150a-d), NL
Anthocyanins
Bitter beverages Curcumin, Turmeric, 100 mg/lit.
Riboflavin, Carminic acid
Fruit and vegetable juices Carotenes, Lycopene, β-apo- NL
8-carotenal
Beer and Cider Caramel colors (E 150a-d) NL
Vegetables conserved in vinegar, Riboflavin, Chlorophyll, NL
salt or oil Caramel colors (E 150a-d),
Chlorophyllins, carotenes,
Anthocyanins
Jams and Marmalade Curcumin, Turmeric, 100 only for synthetic
Chlorophyll, Chlorophyllins, colourants
 Caramel colors (Ea-d),
Capsanthin, Paprika, Lutein,
Betanin, Anthocyanins,
Carminic acid
Sausages, meat pastes, fish products Curcumin, Turmeric, 20-100
Riboflavin, Carminic acid,
Caramel colors (Ea-d),
Carotenes, Capsanthin,
Paprika, Betanin
Hamburger Carminic acid, Caramel 100 only for E 120
colors (Ea–d)
NL – No limit specified

Preparation of colour solutions

To prepare homogeneous solutions of water-soluble colorants, the powders or granules are

dissolved in water or hydrophilic solvents (propylene glycol or glycerine), considering the
solubility limits (1.5 - 4%) recommended by the manufacturer. To improve the stability of food
colorants, specific permitted diluents and support matrices are used viz., lecithin, emulsifiers like
polysorbates, monoglycerides and diglycerides, esters of organic acids with glycerin, esters of
sucrose with fatty acids, sorbitan esters and viscosity regulating powders such as silicates.

Colorant stability and efficacy

The limiting factor for the efficacy of natural colourants is stability in the watery environments
found in most food matrices. Generally the factors that deteriorate colorant stability and efficacy
are physical (temperature, light), chemical (oxidizing or reducing agents, acids, alkalis), and
biological (enzymes, microorganisms).

Application of natural colourants in food products

A. Natural colorants in beverages

Since inception, caramel colorants were used in Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola. At present, natural
colorants are becoming increasingly popular, especially in juice-containing beverages. The
globalization of extraction and concentration techniques led to wider use of concentrated natural
ingredients. They are easy to transport and to store and contribute to the popularity of naturally
colored beverages in accordance with consumers’ growing interest in quality and health
protection.

Certain issues must be considered when using natural colourants in beverages. These include
technical properties such as stability, sensitivity to light, pH, and temperature, and interactions
with other ingredients and packaging. Some natural exempt colorants are used at concentrations
of approximately 0.03 to 0.25% (annatto, cochineal, carmine, elderberry, grape skin extracts,
caramel, β-carotene), others only as concentrates (turmeric and paprika oleoresins).
Lycopene can be used to color a variety of food products including beverages, dairy products,
confectionery products, and baked goods. Tomat-O-Red (commercially produced lycopene
extracted from non-GMO tomato) claims to provide health advantages (cancer preventing agent
due to antioxidant potential) along with its function as a colorant.

When apples are pressed to yield juice, phloridzine, oxygen, and polyphenoloxidase enzyme
combine to form phloridzine oxidation product (POP). This brilliant yellow natural colorant with
nuances dependent on pH level can be incorporated easily into water-based foods such as
beverages (juices, syrups) and confectionery creams, since it is stable during production
processes.

B. Dairy products utilizing natural colorants

Dairy product companies are now producing beverages using flavonoids and anthocyanin-rich
natural juices to color milk, whey-based and fermented products. Yogurt is generally colored
with hydrophilic cochineal extracts, carmine, beet juice, or FD&C Red No. 3, all of which are
resistant to microbial attack. Generally, the colorant is added to the fruit preparation, but must be
stabile at low pH levels. For example, beet juices are directly added to yogurt without the heat
processing that may degrade the beet pigments. The most commonly used red colorants in yogurt
are acid-proof cochineal extract and water-soluble carmine. Both are heat-stable at pH 2.8 to 7.0,
and produce bright and appealing shades. Annatto emulsions showed less stability than annatto
solutions and suspensions during continuous heating. GNT’s Exberry® product, is a new fruit
and vegetable extract replacing annatto which is used as additive in Cheddar and Gouda cheese
production.

C. Natural colorants in confections

Many sweets (confections) must be colored, a point in favour of their attractiveness for
consumers. The commonly colored products are candies (starch jellies, candy cream centers,
pan-coated candies, and hard candies), tablets, wafers, oil-based coatings, and chewing gums.

Natural colorants are rarely used for candy starch jellies due to their low stability to temperature
and pH. Liquid colorants must be homogeneously incorporated into warm candy cream centers.
Light discoloration is unacceptable and natural colorants are preferred. Red cochineal extracts
(containing 3-4% carminic acid) are used at pH > 4 and turn orange at pH < 4, when added at the
end of heat processing. Carmine lakes in alkali solutions are water soluble and may be
incorporated in creams to yield bright magenta-red shades. The color can be changed by
blending with yellow components (β-carotene or annatto). Beet juice may also provide red color
but with lower heat stability and thus lower coloring power. Anthocyanins found in red cabbage,
elderberry, black currant, grape juice, and grape seed concentrates are stable at pH < 3.8 and
used for interior fillings but not for jellies due to their lower stability.

Orange shades are realized with lipophilic natural colorants like paprika oleoresin, β-carotene,
and canthaxanthin after previous emulsification to yield water dispersible forms. Yellow shades
can be achieved using turmeric as a water-soluble solution, but the solution is light sensitive. To
maintain constant color, 3-6 ppm of β-carotene may be added. Stable brown coloration is
obtained from caramel; concentrated syrup is easily incorporated, well flavored and stable in
creams. Colorants must be introduced into the coating syrups during production of pancoated
candies. Water-soluble colorants may be used but lake pigments as dispersions are preferred.
Pan-coated candies require higher concentrations of colorants than jellies or creams; they require
30 to 60 coatings of colored syrup.

Opaque coatings are obtained by combining colorants and titanium oxide, and also using FD&C
lake pigments. These dispersions may also contain stabilizers, preservatives, and viscosity
regulators. The critical points are temperature (< 40°C), dry matter (68 to 72%) and the ratio of
tablet to coating syrup. Synthetic colorants are still preferred for coating because of better
stability and lower cost, but the interest in natural colorants (turmeric, carmine, beet juice, β-
carotene, red cabbage) in panned candies continues to increase rapidly.

Hard-boiled candies do not tolerate water after cooking, limiting the use of water-soluble
colorants in vacuum cookers. The preferred method is to disperse these colorants into melted, hot
candy slabs or disperse in glycerine or proplyene glycol.

Fat candies mainly need oil-based dispersion coatings but may also accept water-soluble
colorants. For gum products (sticks, balls), colored lakes blended with turmeric or carmine
suspended in glycerine give bright colors.

D. Natural colorants in baked goods

The use of natural versus synthetic colorants and water-soluble versus oil-soluble colorants
depends on the cereal or flour matrix, baking temperature regime, pH, and ability of the colorant
to dissolve in the appropriate solvent. Since baked foods contain fats, the colorants must be oil-
dispersible, e.g., FD&C lakes or oil-soluble natural colorants. For a good dispersion in dough,
water-soluble colorants are added at 1.5-3.0% concentration. Lakes are preferred for water-based
coatings due to their better light stability and non-migration from the matrix. Liquid solvents
such as propylene glycol or glycerine mixed with lecithin are recommended for cookie fillings
because they incorporate well into vegetable oils.

The natural colorants used often for bakery products are annatto extract or annatto plus turmeric
blends (0.02-0.06 %) to obtain yellow-orange shades. Crackers are colored with annatto extract,
turmeric and paprika oleoresins, or caramel. Turmeric may be used also in combination with
FD&C colorants.

Comparison of natural with synthetic permitted colourants for food

Exempt colors need to be used at higher levels than their synthetic brethren. As a consequence,
they may unexpectedly change the texture, odor, or flavor of the food. They are less stable and
less consistent, causing the food at times to be unacceptable to the consumer. Exempt colors are
often duller, more pastel, and more easily affected by the food matrix, pH, salts, vitamins,
flavors, and other factors. They are also more likely to be contaminated with undesirable trace
metals, insecticides, herbicides, and bacteria.
Epilogue

The present market for food colorants is estimated at 1 billion USD, while the natural food
colorant market is only one-third of it. Synthetic colorants have achieved better results than
natural or nature-identical colorants until now because of greater stability and higher ratios of
coloring yield. In recent decades, the synthetic colorant market has declined, to the benefit of the
natural-oriented market and consumers. In addition to the decreasing enthusiasm for chemicals in
food, the high costs of toxicological studies also inhibit the development and approval of new
synthetic colorants.