A Colorful History Color additives have long been a part of human culture. Through the years, color additives typically came from substances found in nature, such as turmeric, paprika and saffron. But as the 20th century approached, new kinds of colors appeared that offered marketers wider coloring possibilities. These colors, many whipped up in the chemist's lab, also created a range of safety problems. Toxic chemicals tinted certain candies and pickles, while other color additives contained arsenic or similar poisons.
Historical records show that injuries, even deaths, resulted from tainted colorants.
Food producers also deceived customers by employing color additives to mask poor product quality or spoiled stock. By the turn of the century, unmonitored color additives had spread through the marketplace in all sorts of popular foods, including ketchup, mustard, jellies, and wine. Sellers at the time offered more than 80 artificial coloring agents, some intended for dyeing textiles, not foods. Many color additives had never been tested for toxicity or other adverse effects. As the 1900s began, the bulk of chemically synthesized colors were derived from aniline, a petroleum product that in pure form is toxic.