USE OF FOOD DYES: PROBLEM, SOLUTION AND SOURCE OF PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

For consumers, the colour presents an indicator that characterizes the quality of the food. As a result of the processes of caramelization of carbohydrates and products of the Maillard reaction, brown compounds are formed with a negative impact on the external appearance of food, which has led to the massive use of synthetic dyes, stable from a technological point of view. The objectives of the European Union foresee the transition to the exclusive use of natural dyes, because synthetic dyes significantly affect the health of the population. Compounds with "azo" type chromophore groups (amaranth, tartrazine) present carcinogenic dangers, being banned in several European countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the problem of synthetic dyes and their substitution in food, obtaining, stabilizing and using natural dyes for the food industry. The study highlighted that safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) presents a promising source of yellow and red dyes, necessary for use in the food industry, but insufficient information was found regarding the technological properties of safflower petals, the methods of simultaneous extraction of yellow and red dyes and the peculiarities of the use of dyes in the finished product.