Why Are Food Colors Added To Foods?

By Author: piyush aegis
Total Articles: 6
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Foods are made more tempting when food colors are added to them and though we do not realize but consciously or unconsciously we pick up those foods that look bright and colorful. We usually assume that food colors are added to only packaged or canned foods but that is not true because many times these colors are also added to natural foods to enhance their color and to make it more commercially viable. The food colors that are added to foods are usually dyes and lakes. Dyes are soluble while lakes are insoluble which a combination of dye and mineral salts is. Ideally lakes are added to foods that are fatty in nature and lack moisture such as hard candies, chewing gum, doughnuts etc. There are standards that have to be met when adding food colors that are also known as color additives. Color additives are used in foods extensively and some of the reasons on why they are used include the following reasons:

• The foods undergo offset color loss due to exposure to excessive temperatures, light, air as well as lack of moisture.
• Sometimes it is used to enhance the natural color of the food while at other times ...
... it is also to rectify the natural variation in color
• There are some foods that do not have any color and food colors are used to make them colorful and bright or in some cases a customer have a certain picture of that food in their mind and color is added to simulate that image.

Color additives are now being recognized as an important part of most processed foods that are consumed.There are different types of dyes and lakes that are used to give a food a particular color. For instance brown HT or also known as chocolate brown ht is commonly used as a food dye and is meant to be a substitute to caramel or cocoa as a colorant. This particular food color is mainly added to chocolate cakes, but in some cases it is even added to cheeses, milk, jams, yoghurts and fruit based products.

Another food color is called brilliant blue FCF, which helps in food color change and is mostly mixed with tartrazine to generate different shades of green. Brilliant blue FCF is mostly found in canned processed peas, packet soups, ice creams, icings, ice pops, bottled food colorings, dairy products and sweets.

Another synthetic food color dye is tartrazine, which is lemon yellow azo color and is soluble in water. It is primarily used to give out the color yellow but in some cases it is combined with brilliant blue FCF to generate different shades of green. The different food products that contain tartrazine are confectionery, soft drinks, cotton candy, flavored corn chips, cake mixes, pastries, soups, powdered drink mixes, ice creams, candies etc.

These food colors are used in to enhance or add color to a particular food thereby increasing its overall attractiveness and make it all the more delectable for consumption.