Food Additives: Colorants

Abstract

Coloring agents are added to food to enhance its sensory characteristic, replace color lost during processing, and influence the consumer perceptions of the food's flavor and quality. Colorants are used as food additives at relatively low levels to achieve the technological function; they may be natural or synthetic in origin. All synthetic colorants undergo extensive toxicological analysis before they can be used. Their use is regulated by legislation in most countries and recommended internationally by Codex Alimentarius Commission. The use of synthetic colors in foods continues to attract debate due to a proposed link between behavioral disturbances, especially hyperactivity, in children and dietary exposure to colors in food. A relatively recent study claimed a causative link between certain food color mixtures on increased hyperactivity in sensitive children. Subsequent assessments of this study by many scientific bodies were unable to confirm such a link. The available scientific information evaluated by national food regulatory agencies and scientific panels of experts have concluded that dietary intake of the currently approved colorants such as Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow, and Sunset Yellow FCF, detailed in this article, are safe.