Natural Colorants: Food Colorants from Natural Sources.

The color of food is often associated with the flavor, safety, and nutritional value of the product. Synthetic food colorants have been used because of their high stability and low cost. However, consumer perception and demand have driven the replacement of synthetic colorants with naturally derived alternatives. Natural pigment applications can be limited by lower stability, weaker tinctorial strength, interactions with food ingredients, and inability to match desired hues. Therefore, no single naturally derived colorant can serve as a universal alternative for a specified synthetic colorant in all applications. This review summarizes major environmental and biological sources for natural colorants as well as nature-identical counterparts. Chemical characteristics of prevalent pigments, including anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, and chlorophylls, are described. The possible applications and hues (warm, cool, and achromatic) of currently used natural pigments, such as anthocyanins as red and blue colorants, and possible future alternatives, such as purple violacein and red pyranoanthocyanins, are also discussed.

Artificial food colors and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms: conclusions to dye for.

The effect of artificial food colors (AFCs) on child behavior has been studied for more than 35 years, with accumulating evidence from imperfect studies. This article summarizes the history of this controversial topic and testimony to the 2011 Food and Drug Administration Food Advisory Committee convened to evaluate the current status of evidence regarding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Features of ADHD relevant to understanding the AFC literature are explained: ADHD is a quantitative diagnosis, like hypertension, and some individuals near the threshold may be pushed over it by a small symptom increment. The chronicity and pervasiveness make caregiver ratings the most valid measure, albeit subjective. Flaws in many studies include nonstandardized diagnosis, questionable sample selection, imperfect blinding, and nonstandardized outcome measures. Recent data suggest a small but significant deleterious effect of AFCs on children's behavior that is not confined to those with diagnosable ADHD. AFCs appear to be more of a public health problem than an ADHD problem. AFCs are not a major cause of ADHD per se, but seem to affect children regardless of whether or not they have ADHD, and they may have an aggregated effect on classroom climate if most children in the class suffer a small behavioral decrement with additive or synergistic effects. Possible biological mechanisms with published evidence include the effects on nutrient levels, genetic vulnerability, and changes in electroencephalographic beta-band power. A table clarifying the Food and Drug Administration and international naming systems for AFCs, with cross-referencing, is provided.

Distribution profiles of sulphur in caramel colours on a gel-filtration column studied by HPLC/ICP.

The distribution profiles of sulphur in commercial caramel colours I, III and IV on a gel-filtration column were studied with a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) connected directly to a vacuum-ultraviolet inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP). A small sulphur peak of sulphate was detected in most products of caramel III, whereas caramel I products did not exhibit a sulphur peak, as predicted from the total sulphur concentration. In caramel IV products, sulphur was detected continuously in the fractions of the colouring ingredients with high molecular weights. The molar ratio of sulphur was bound to every 2-4 molecules of original hexose. However, sulphur was also contained in lower molecular weight fractions which were not the colouring constituents, the content being over twice that of the colouring ingredients.

[The analysis of caramel colors. 1. Differentiation of classes of caramel coloring agents with Curie-point pyrolysis-capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry]. / Zur Analytik von Zuckercouleuren. 1. Mitteilung: Differenzierung der Couleurklassen mittels Curiepunkt-Pyrolyse-Capillargaschromatographie-Massenspektrometrie.

After an introduction on the production, classification, legislative regulations, toxicology, and analysis of caramel colours, a report is given on the examination of these colourings by Curie-point pyrolysis-capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This method enables the differentiation between the four classes of caramel colours on the basis of the most concentrated of more than 100 identified pyrolysis products, which requires small quantities of substance (100 micrograms) and short periods of time (1 h).

The approach of the European communities to the assessment of the carcinogenic risk of environmental chemicals, in particular, artificial colourings.

A brief outline is given of the rationale of the Environmental Research Programme of the European Economic Community and of its implementation. The major part of the programme is devoted to research on the exposure-effect relationships for mutagens and carcinogens and to the establishment of criteria. As a first step, a battery of test systems for mutagenicity screening is being established. These will be evaluated in a comparative test programme. The second part of the paper describes the specific legislative actions of the European Communities on food colourings. The historical background is given; and the criteria used by the Scientific Committee for Food for classifying and evaluating colouring matters are listed. Proposed regulatory action, on the basis of the report of the Committe, includes lists of colouring matters which are 'unacceptable', 'temporarily acceptable' and 'acceptable'.