Food colours are therefore used by manufacturers to restore the appearance of a food/drink after processing and also to help maintain the particular shade of a product for the duration of its shelf life.
For the manufacturers, it is a fine balance to provide vibrant appealing colours that do not look either artificial or too dull as consumers and retailers are not prepared to compromise the visual appearance of their food and beverage.
Food colours can loosely be categorised as artificial (colours that have been chemically synthesised) or natural. Historically the use of colours centered on synthetic ones. However, as technology evolved, a revolution in the availability of natural colours has taken place, which can offer equal stability to their synthetic counterparts in a wide range of applications. Natural colours have always been part of the diet. They have been isolated and added back to foods for the same reasons as the synthetic / certified colours. Chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyanins are consumed in the foods through our diet. Common natural colourings include annatto, saffron, paprika, grapes skin, caramel, beetroot, cochineal and turmeric.
Food colours are available as liquids, powders, gels, and pastes. Colour additives are used to offset colour loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions and also intended to correct natural variations in colour.
Safety of Colours and Efficacy of Regulations in India
Colours of the food can influence the perceived flavour. Sometimes the aim is to stimulate a colour that is perceived by the customer as natural or sometimes it is for effect. Off-colour foods are generally considered inferior in quality and so colours are added. Colours can also protect vitamins and flavours that may be affected by sunlight during storage. Usage of colours can enhance the natural colour of a dish and introduce decorative colours to other foods.
Specialty food ingredients typically preserve, texture, emulsify, colour, help processing, and in some cases, add an extra health dimension to produced food. These ingredients are essential in providing today's consumer with a wide range of processed foods. Such specialty food colours help maintain or improve a product's sensory properties. Due to consumer concerns around synthetic dyes, there is a tilt towards promotion of natural colours. Natural colours, generally, do not need certification by regulatory bodies throughout the world. Certified, synthetic colours are popular because they are less expensive but they are also effective in giving an intense and uniform colour. They can also blend easily to give a variety of hues.
Natural Colours
Some natural colours do end up giving an unintended flavour to foods - odour, taste and texture. There are different types of natural colours available to name a few.
Saffron
Saffron is used in the food to give yellow colour and a native spice of Asia. Along with colour it also has the excellent aroma that makes the food more delicious.
Turmeric
Turmeric is again a dark yellow coloured powder that is made from the herb Curcuma longa. It also has many medicinal properties and used in India since long time. Even today every dish in India uses turmeric.
Caramel Food Colouring
Caramel food colouring is made by heating the carbohydrates at controlled temperature through the process of caramelisation. This is somewhat bitter in taste and has the odour of bitter sugar. It is used to give colour to beer, brown breads, batter, cookies, chocolates, brandy, rum and so on.
Betanin
Betanin is red coloured food dye that is obtained from beets. It is the food additive with E number as E162. Ice creams, soft drinks, beverages are the most common foods in which betanin is used as natural food colouring. It also acts as an antioxidant.
Paprika
Paprika is obtained from the Capsicum annuum - dried fruit is grinded to get the paprika. The food colouring is used to colour rice, soups, stews and other preparation of sausages.
Red Sandalwood
Red sandalwood is blackish brown in colour and gives dark red liquid when cut. Red sandalwood is a natural food colour used in many kinds of food. Along with this it also has the anti-acne, and wound healing properties so it is extensively used as ayurveda herb in India.
The exact history of food additives is not known, but research indicates the existence of food additives to date back to the prehistoric man who added certain chemicals to smoked meat. Later methods like salting fish and meat to improve its shelf life, adding spices and indigenous herbs to food to improve its taste and pickling fruits using salt and vinegar, came into practice.
The use of food additives was minimum in the past when food was mostly prepared at home from fresh raw ingredients. Food items were seasonal and seldom available off season. Today we find most food being made available all round the year, enabling the urban population to enjoy food in great varieties. Food is also made available in places where it is not produced (e.g. fish in non-coastal region), due to the usage of food additives. The present day food industry has grown and flourished due to the liberal use of food additives. These additives have also led to the extensive production and marketing of 'easy-to-prepare' convenience foods.
The sudden rise in the use and manufacture of additives stems from the fact that most foods are nowadays packed and processed unlike in the past where majority of the food was hand-cooked. Also adding additives and preservatives ensures the availability of the product both off and on season. Also, easy to prepare convenience food has generous doses of additives so that the quality is restrained over the course of transportation and the item is still ready to eat. The concept of food additive keeping in pace with the technological advance, enlarged their horizon encompassing a number of a functional additives to improve the quality, shelf life, nutritional status, economies, as well as aesthetics of the products.
Additives
Major additives in food processing include: Alternate sweeteners; Anti-caking agents; Antioxidants; Bleaching and maturing agents; Bulking agents; Colouring agents; Dough conditioners; Emulsifiers; and Enzymes and sweeteners.
There are many different uses and nutritional values that are present among additives:
Nutritive Value of Food: Additive such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and amino acids derivatives are utilised to increase the nutritive value of food.
Sensory Value of Food: Colour, odour, taste and texture, which are important for the sensory value of food, are determined by additives.
Shelf Life of Food: The current form of food production and distribution, as well as the trend towards convenient foods, has increased the demand for longer shelf life.
Food additives play a vital role in today's food supply as they are nutritious. Sarika Chawla, nutritionist, states, "In today's world, our diet includes 30-40% processed food, which may be more than 50% for those who are staying away from home. This processed food contains preservatives, chemicals and colours which are known as food additives. Preservatives are used more frequently than preservation techniques. These additives have hazardous effect on our health and it contributes to increasing incidence of cancer, heart disease and the like. Skin problems, hyper activity, hair loss and greying of hair can also be caused because of food additives."
Nonetheless, consumers still prefer food additives and colours because they allow the urban population to enjoy a variety of safe, wholesome, and tasty foods without any potential risk.
