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Coloring that is added to food may come from natural sources or may be a synthetic product. Natural food color is any dye, pigment or substance that is added to food to change its color. The natural food colors are obtained from vegetable, algae, mineral, animal or plant sources capable of coloring food or cosmetic. People often associate certain colors with certain flavours. It is for this reason that food manufacturers add dyes to their products to make it appealing to people.
Uses of natural food colors: The aim of using food color is to stimulate a natural color as perceived by the consumer or bring about a different effect in order that it makes an appeal. Some of the other reasons of adding natural food colors include offsetting color loss due to light, air, extremes of temperature, moisture and storage conditions. Food colors are also added to mask the variations in color and protect flavours and vitamins from damage by light.  Some other reason for food colors being added are that they are safer to use than normal artistic dyes and pigments. Food color can also serve as a temporary fabric dye. Many drugs also contain coloring additives and this fact is sometimes overlooked when trying to avoid particular colorings.
Types of food colors: Natural food colors are of various types. Some are water soluble, some are oil soluble and some both. In general there are 26 colors permitted to be used in food and 28 to be used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. A few commonly used natural colors are Annatto (seed), turmeric, beet juice (root), red cabbage (vegetable), spinach (leaf). Some of the popular natural food colors are Annatto extract, Black Currant, Caramel, Carmine, Curcumin, Carotenoids, Beet juice, Aronia, Oleoresin to name a few.
Popular natural food colors and their usage: Annatto is yellow, oil and water soluble natural food colorant obtained from the seeds of the Bixa Orella tree. This colorant is used in dairy products, bakery and snack foods. Beta-Carotene another natural food colorant is a carrier of vitamin A and imparts an orange-yellow color to food. Most beta-carotene is derived from algae or is synthesized. It is oil-soluble but can be made into a water-dispersible emulsion. It is used in beverages, frozen foods, fruit fillings, candies and baked goods. Black currant is a fruit its concentrate contains sugars and acids (including citric acid) typical of fruits. It is mainly used in beverages, confectionery and fruit preparations.
Popular colorants: Caramel color is one of the most widely used colorants in foods. It is also called the color of burnt sugar. It is made by heating food grade carbohydrates. Heat is carefully controlled during the process. It can produce color ranging from light brown to almost black and this color strength is called its tinctorial power. Caramel color is an emulsifying agent as well. In soft drinks, it helps keep the flavor oils suspended in the solution. Paprika another food colorant is an extract and has a characteristic flavor and color.  Dried and ground paprika is both a garnish and an essential flavor ingredient in chicken paprika, salad dressings and tomato products. Riboflavin, also known as Vitamin B2 is commercially prepared from yeast, it is also manufactured synthetically. It is used in preparing baby foods, cereals, sauces, processed cheese and fruit drinks.
Control of law: The use of color additives in food is controlled by law, and only those additives that are considered to be safe are permitted to be used. As more tests are performed and information becomes available the list of permitted colors may change.
Health implications of food colors: The addition of color to food is, for some people, an emotive issue, largely because colors are seen as cosmetic and from earliest times, color was added to food sometimes to deceive the consumer as to the quality of the food. More recently, some of the colors used are suspected of causing health problems. Reactions have ranged from rashes and swelling to asthma and even behavioural changes.
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