Introduction of Food Additives: Food Coloring

2022-11-04

Different types of food additives are important factors that constitute the modern food industry and are extremely important for improving the color, flavor and taste of food, increasing food nutrition, improving food quality, improving processing conditions, preventing food spoilage and extending the shelf life of food. Therefore, food additives industry in the modern food industry occupies an important position. Additives used for coloring food is called food coloring, the purpose of which is to increase the attraction of food and stimulate appetite. Food coloring is divided into two categories according to the source: synthetic coloring and natural coloring.

I. Synthetic food coloring

Synthetic food coloring is divided into amaranth red, carmine, erythrosine, new red, lemon yellow, sunset yellow, indigo yellow, bright blue, as well as aluminum lake which is used to enhance the dispersion of above water-soluble acidic food coloring in oil and grease.

(1) Carmine

Carmine is red to dark red powder. Its characteristics are acid resistance, good light resistance, but heat resistance, poor resistance to reduction. It becomes brown in the presence of alkali, and is mostly used in the processing of pastries, beverages, agricultural and livestock aquatic products.

(2) Lemon yellow

Lemon yellow is an orange-yellow powder, which is widely used in various countries, mainly for the processing of pastry, beverage, agricultural and livestock aquatic products, medicine and cosmetics. Its characteristics are good heat resistance, acid resistance, light resistance and salt resistance, poor oxidation resistance. It becomes slightly redden in the presence of alkali, and fades when restored.

II. Natural food coloring

Natural food coloring is made from animal and plant tissues by solvent extraction. Although the natural color is slightly inferior, and it is not stable when exposed to light, heat, pH, but it is safer than synthetic food coloring, and has rich sources. Some natural food coloring also has vitamin activity or a certain pharmacological function, which has increasingly drawn attention, with a fast-increasing production and sales. Natural food coloring mainly includes: caramel, red rice and red rice powder, red currant red, chili oil resin and chili red, gardenia yellow, gardenia blue, beet red, wormwood red, etc.

III. Meat Natural food coloring-NatureAce

NaturAce is an innovative combination of vegetable and spice extracts with high coloring properties suitable in all kinds of raw processed meat applications. It makes products bright with a nice shade, implying products' freshness and high-quality.

Introduction of Food Additives: Food Coloring