food pigments list, food colorant suppliers, food coloring companies

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 both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking. Food colorants are also used in a variety of non-food applications including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, home craft projects, and medical devices.

People associate certain colors with certain flavors, and the color of food can influence the perceived flavor in anything from candy to wine.

Color additives are used in foods for many reasons including:

• To make food more attractive, appealing, appetizing, and informative
• Offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions
• Correct natural variations in color
• Enhance colors that occur naturally
• Provide color to colorless and "fun" foods
• Allow consumers to identify products on sight, like candy flavors or medicine dosages

Natural food dyes

Carotenoids (E160, E161, E164), chlorophyllin (E140, E141), anthocyanins (E163), and betanin (E162) comprise four main categories of plant pigments grown to color food products. Other colorants or specialized derivatives of these core groups include:

• Annatto (E160b), a reddish-orange dye made from the seed of the achiote
• Caramel coloring (E150a-d), made from caramelized sugar
• Carmine (E120), a red dye derived from the cochineal insect, Dactylopius coccus
• Elderberry juice (E163)
• Lycopene (E160d)
• Paprika (E160c)
• Turmeric (E100)

Blue colors are especially rare.One feasible blue dye currently in use is derived from spirulina. Some recent research has explored associating anthocyanins with other phenolics or aluminium ions to develop blue colours. However, the inherent problems posed by the nature of the food matrix, and the need for long‐term stability, makes this a very difficult objective. The pigment genipin, present in the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides, can be treated with amino acids to produce the blue pigment gardenia blue, which is approved for use in Japan but not the EU or the USA.

To ensure reproducibility, the colored components of these substances are often provided in highly purified form. For stability and convenience, they can be formulated in suitable carrier materials (solid and liquids). Hexane, acetone, and other solvents break down cell walls in the fruit and vegetables and allow for maximum extraction of the coloring. Traces of these may still remain in the finished colorant, but they do not need to be declared on the product label. These solvents are known as carry-over ingredients.

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