Food Colors

INTRODUCTION

A color additive is any dye, pigment or

substance which when added or applied to a
food, drug or cosmetic, or to the human
body, is capable (alone or through reactions
with other substances) of imparting color.

REASONS for Color Uses

Used to :

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

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Color Importance !

Adding colour - Do
we need it?
Which one would
you buy?
And which do you
think would taste
better?
Some people react
badly to
tartrazine.
Some
manufacturers
have started to
replace it with
turmeric oleoresin.

Food and Color additives

(According to FDA regulations)

Color additive

Those that require certification

from FDA

Those that are exempted

from certification

COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT

FROM CERTIFICATION
73.30 Annatto extract.
73.35 Astaxanthin. added to the fish feed only as a
component of a stabilized color additive mixture.
73.40 Dehydrated beets (beet powder).
73.50 Ultramarine blue. used for coloring salt intended
for animal feed
73.75 Canthaxanthin.
73.85 Caramel.
73.90 -Apo-8'-carotenal.
73.95 -Carotene.
73.100 Cochineal extract; carmine.

COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT

FROM CERTIFICATION
73.140 Toasted partially defatted cooked cottonseed flour.
73.160 Ferrous gluconate. coloring of ripe olives.
73.165 Ferrous lactate. coloring of ripe olives.
73.169 Grape color extract. Non-beverage foods
73.170 Grape skin extract (enocianina). still and carbonated drinks
and ades, beverage bases, and alcoholic beverages
73.200 Synthetic iron oxide. Sausage casings, pet foods
73.250 Fruit juice.
73.260 Vegetable juice.

COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM

CERTIFICATION (21CFR73)
73.275 Dried algae meal. enhance the yellow color of
chicken skin and eggs.
73.295 Tagetes (Aztec marigold) meal and extract. enhance the
yellow color of chicken skin and eggs.
73.300 Carrot oil.
73.315 Corn endosperm oil.
73.340 Paprika.
73.345 Paprika oleoresin.
73.450 Riboflavin.
73.500 Saffron.
73.575 Titanium dioxide.
73.600 Turmeric.
73.615 Turmeric oleoresin.

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Natural Colors Permitted in

USA
Carotenes
Curcumin
(i) Riboflavin, (ii) Riboflavin-5'-phosphate
Cochineal; Carminic acid; Carmines
Chlorophylls and chlorophyllins
Copper complexes of chlorophyll and
chlorophyllins
Plain caramel
Caustic sulphite caramel
Ammonia caramel
Sulphite ammonia caramel

Calcium carbonate
Titanium dioxide
Iron oxides and hydroxides
Aluminium
Silver
Gold

Annatto; Bixin; Norbixin

Paprika extract; Capsanthian;
Capsorubin
Lycopene
Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C30)
Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenoic
acid (C30)
Lutein
Canthaxanthin
Beetroot Red; Betanin
Anthocyanins

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*Colours in pink are controversial

Food colors can be divided into four categories:

1) Natural colors: Natural colors are pigments made by

living organisms.
Usually, pigments made by modification of materials
from living organisms, such as caramel,
vegetable carbon, and Cu-chlorophyllin (vide infra), are
also considered natural though
they are in fact (except for carbon) not found in
nature.

2) Nature-identical colors: Nature-identical colors are

man-made pigments which are also found
in nature.
Examples are -carotene, canthaxanthin, and riboflavin.
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 3)

* Naturally Modified colors

Example: Caramel Colors

4)* Synthetic Colors

Man-made colors Not found in nature
(Derived from coal tar or Petroleum )

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NATURAL COLOURS

14

Classification of Natural Colorants

May

be classified into one of two general

categories

Non-nitrogenous pigments

Flavonoids, carotenoids, quinones

Nitrogenous pigments

Chlorophylls, bilins, flavals

Alternatively,

may be classified based on

whether pigment contains metal-coordinated
porphyrin rings
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Non-Nitrogenous Pigments

Flavonoids

Carotenoids

Anthocyanins
Anthoxanthins
Carotenes
Xanthophylls

Quinones

Benzoquinones
Naphthoquinones
Anthraquinones
Polycyclic quinones

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Flavonoids
Found extensively in plants but of only limited occurrence
in animals
Consist of a 15-carbon flavone (2-phenylbenzopyrone)
skeleton
Hydrogen atoms (H) replaced either by hydroxyl (-OH) or
methoxyl (-OCH3) groups
Occur in living tissue mainly in combination with sugar
molecules, forming glycosides
Take one of two forms

Anthocyanins
Anthoxanthins

17

Anthocyanins
Responsible for the red buds and young shoots,
purple and purple-red colors of autumn leaves
Also occur in blossoms, fruits, and roots (beets)
Typically red in acid, violet in neutral, and blue in
alkaline solution
More than one anthocyanin may be present
The colors of many flowers are caused by the
presence of both anthocyanins and plastid
pigments
Small genetic changes in varieties or species
may lead to the development of different
anthocyanins

18

Anthocyanins

Color dependent on source material and pH

Grape skin extract, at pH 3 will give a red/blue

shade, becoming increasingly blue as the pH
moves towards neutral
Elderberry will give more red-orange color at
pH 3
Red cabbage extract gives a characteristic redblue shade that is less sensitive to pH change
Black carrot juice will give a spectral red color at
pH 3 that remains red up to pH 4.5 5.0

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Carotenoids
All animals depend upon vitamin A or one of
its precursors, such as carotene, for normal
metabolism and growth
By far the most important, conspicuous, and
widely distributed in both plants and animals
Synthesized by bacteria, fungi, algae, and
other plants
Non-nitrogenous yellow, orange, or red
pigments

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Carotenoids
Generally insoluble in water
Dissolve readily in fat solvents such as alcohol,
ether, and chloroform
Readily bleached by light and exposure to
atmospheric oxygen
Unstable in acids such as sulfuric acid.
Occur as two major types

Hydrocarbon class, or carotenes

Oxygenated (alcoholic) class, or xanthophylls.
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Carotenoids

Some animals selectively assimilate

members of one class or the other

The horse absorbs through its intestine only

the carotenes (food contains mostly
xanthophylls)
The domestic hen stores only members of the
xanthophyll class, as do many fishes and
invertebrates.
Certain frogs, octopus species, and humans,
assimilate and store both classes in the liver
and in fat deposits.

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Carotenoids
Fat souble synthetically produced natural pigments. Colors range
from yellow to red. Sensitive to oxygen (note the conjugated
double bonds). Isomerized during heat processing.
-CAROTENE (0.6 ug = 1IU)
-APO-8- CAROTENAL (0.83 ug = 1IU)
CANTHAXINTHIN (No Vit A activity)
BIXIN (ANNATTO EXTRACT) (No Vit A activity)
LYCOPENE (No Vit A activity) Used in Europe but not yet
approved in the US

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Carotenes
O

Canthaxanthin (No Vit A activity)

O
H
Beta-Apo-Carotenal ( 0.83 ug = 1 IU )

Beta Carotene ( 0.6ug = 1 IU )

OCH3
O

OH
Bixin (Annatto)

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Commercial Forms of Carotenioids

Available:

Liquid suspension in vegetable oil

Semi-solid suspension -25% in hydro genated
vegetable oil
Beadlet-water dispersible
Emulsion, beverage type

25

Commercial Forms of Carotenioids

Available:

STABILITY
Crystalline B-carotene is sensitive to air and light.
Vegetable fat and oil solutions and suspensions
are quite stable during customary handling.

26

SUGGESTED USE LEVELS OF CAROTENOIDS TO

OBTAIN CERTAIN COLORS
COLOR

CANTHAXANTHIN

YELLOW
2.5
ORANGE
5
ORANGE-RED 10
STRAWBERRY 12
RASPBERRY
15
CHERRY
25
* DOES NOT GIVE RED COLOR

APOCAROTENAL B-CAROTENE

2
8
10
12
15

2
5
*
*
*
*

mg/pt

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Some Carotenoid Applications

Food Product
Carotenoid
Comments
Simulated dairy
products
-carotene beadlets
Provides color and Vit A
Meat And Simulated
Meat Products
10% Canthaxanthin beadlets
Enhances Color
Tomato Products 10% Canthaxanthin beadlets
Restore Color
Frozen And Dried
Egg Yolk Products -carotene suspensions, Improves color of foods
beadlets
made from these products
Juices & beverages
-carotene Beadlets
Yellow color, adds Vit A
Frostings
-carotene Beadlets
Lighter colors like lemon,
peach
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Some Carotenoid Applications

Food Product
Margarine
Butter
Cheese
Popcorn
Process Cheese
Bakery Products

Carotenoid
-carotene suspensions
-carotene Suspensions
Annatto
-carotene Suspensions
-carotene Suspensions
-carotene Beadlets
Canthaxanthin Beadlets

Comments
Uniform color, Vit A
Standard color,Vit A
Color only, No Vit A
Uniform color
Uniform color ,Vit A
Yellow Color

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Annatto (Bixin)
Carotenoid
Plant

pigment permitted for coloring cheese

(Cheddar)
Stable to oxidations
Unstable to heat and light

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Anthoxanthins
Greater variety than anthocyanins
New forms continuously being discovered
Some common examples

Pale-yellow flavonal quercitin, a weak acid that

combines with strong acids to form orange salts,
which are not very stable and readily dissociate in
water
Chrysin, found in the leaf buds of the poplar (Populus)
Apigenin, found in the leaves, stem, and seeds of
parsley (Petroselinum)
Flowers of the camomile (Anthemis).

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Betalins
Dried beet juice 0.2-1.0% betanin
Betanin useful at ~ 50 ppm
Betanin has 2.5 times coloring strength cf red
#2
Most stable between ph 4.0-5.0
Heat, oxygen and light labile
Most often in sauces (frozen pizza sauces),
dried products, some yogurts
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Betanin
O H

HO

H
O

OH
H

HO

OH

OH

+N

Betanin
O
HO

N
H
O

OH

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Quinones
Class of cyclic organic compounds
Contain two carbonyl groups, either adjacent or
separated by a vinylene group, in a sixmembered unsaturated ring
Carbonyl groups may be located in different rings
Four main forms in nature

Benzoquinones
Naphthoquinones
Anthraquinones
Polycyclic quinones.
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Benzoquinones
Occur in certain fungi and in roots, berries, or
abnormal growths of higher plants
May be recovered as yellow, orange, red, violet,
or darker colored crystals or solids
Small quantities of pale-yellow crystals of
coenzyme Q, often called ubiquinones, are
almost universally distributed in plants and
animals
Play an important role as respiratory enzymes in
catalyzing cellular oxidations

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Naphthoquinones
In some bacteria and in the leaves, seeds, and
woody parts of higher plants
Recovered as yellow, orange, red, or purple
crystals
Soluble in organic solvents
Used extensively as dyes for fabrics.
Some examples

K vitamins
Echinochromes and spinochromes (found in animal
sources)
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Anthraquinone
Occur widely in plants but in only a few animals
Parent substance of a large class of dyes and
pigments
Prepared commercially by oxidation of
anthracene or condensation of benzene and
phthalic anhydride, followed by dehydration of
the condensation product.
Although extremely stable toward oxidation,
anthraquinone can be easily reduced to a variety
of products

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Polycyclic Quinones

Occur in some bacteria, fungi, and parts of

higher plants

Not widely
found in foods

Representative
strucutres
(not from plants)

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Nitrogenous Pigments
Porphyrins

Chlorophyll
Bilins (a.k.a. Bilichromes)

Flavals

a.k.a. Lyochromes

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Porphyrins
Water-soluble, nitrogenous 16-membered cyclic
Elementary structural unit is a large ring
composed of four pyrrole rings, or cyclic
tetrapyrroles, known as porphin.
Combine with metals (metalloporphyrins) and
proteins

Chlorophylls
Hemoglobins (animal product)
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Chlorophyll
Exist

in several forms

Chlorophylls a and b are the chief forms in higher

plants and green algae
Bacteriochlorophyll is found in certain
photosynthetic bacteria.

Magnesium

containing porphyrin compounds

Cyclic tetrapyrrole is attached to a single central

magnesium atom
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Chlorophyll
Contain

two more hydrogen atoms than do

other porphyrins (hemoglobin, porphyrins)
Bound to proteins and lipids aschloroplastin
in definite and specific laminations in plants
(chloroplasts)
Able to remain resistant to light because of
binding to specific proteins; unbound
chlorophyll is light sensitive
42

Chlorophyll
Pyrrole ring with chelated Mg++
Phytol ester
Most of the chemistry relates to removal of Mg and
replacement with H+, Cu++ or Zn++
Veri-Green process adds ZnCl2 to replace H in pheophytin to
form very bright and stable green color, copper will also
form a very nice color (but adding copper is not allowed in
the US)
Phytol ester may also be cleaved.
Chlorophyll minus phytol = chlorophyllide (green)
Replace Mg with H = Pheophytin (olive)
-phytol and Mg=pheophorbide(Qlive)
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Chlorophyll a

44

Bilins (a.k.a. bilichromes)

Metabolic breakdown products of certain
porphyrins
Yellow, green, red, or brown
Nonmetallic linear structures (not rings)

Blue phycocyanins, red phycoerythrins - accessory

pigments in photosynthesis for red algae
Phytochrome, a blue bilichrome present in very
minute quantities in green plants, is indispensable in
various photoperiodic processes
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Flavins (a.k.a. lyochromes)

Pale-yellow, greenly fluorescent,
Water-soluble
Synthesized by bacteria, yeasts, and green plants
Small quantities widely distributed
Most prevalent member of the class is riboflavin
(vitamin B2)

Not manufactured by animals

Enzyme component capable of combining with molecular
oxygen
Yellow product releases the oxygen in the cell with
simultaneous loss of color

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MEAT PIGMENTS
PIGMENT
Myoglobin
Oxymyoglobin
Metmyoglobin
Nitrosomyoglobin
Metmyoglobin nitrite

COLOR
Purple-red
Bright red
Brown
Pink
Pink

IRON
+2
+2
+3
+2
+3

GLOBIN
N
N
N
N
N

Green colors -sulfmyoglobin (H2S)

Choleglobin (ascorbate, reducing agents)

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Myoglobin

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Caramel Color
Produced from heat treatment of:
Sugars
Alkali
Acids
Salts
Glucose Ammonium hydroxide.Acetic acid.
Ammonium, sodium,
Fructose Calcium hydroxide
Citric acid
potassium carbonate,
Lactose
Potassium hydroxide. Phosphoric acid
bicarbonate
Malt Syrup Sodium hydroxide.
Sulfuric acid.. Phosphate (including
Molasses
Sulfurous acid dibasic phosphate and
Starch Hydrolysates
monobasic phosphate),

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Caramel Color
Complex colloid with a charge
Must carry a strong negative charge to remain soluble
Types
Uses
Acid proof (pka 2.0)
Carbonated beverages
Bakers and confectioners
Baked products
Dry caramel
Dry mixes

http://www.caramel.com/
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