Food coloring

A **food coloring** is any substance that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in cooking at home.

## Purpose of food coloring 
People associate certain colors with certain flavors. The color of the food can therefore influence its perceived flavor in anything from candy to wine.

## Natural food dyes 
A growing number of natural food dyes are being commercially produced, partly due to consumer concerns surrounding synthetic dyes.  Some examples include:

* Caramel coloring, made from caramelized sugar, used in cola products and also in cosmetics.
* Annatto, a reddish-orange dye made from the seed of the Achiote.
* A green dye made from chlorella algae.
* Cochineal, a red dye derived from the cochineal insect, *Dactylopius coccus*.
* Beet juice
* turmeric
* saffron
* paprika

To make it easy to get the exact color, these color components are often available in very pure form. They can also be used with suitable carrier materials.

## Dyes and lakes 
In the United States, certifiable color additives are available for use in food as either "dyes" or "lakes".

Dyes dissolve in water, but are not soluble in oil.  Dyes are manufactured as powders, granules, liquids or other special purpose forms. They can be used in drinks, dry mixes, baked goods, confections, dairy products, pet foods and many other products. Dyes also have side effects which lakes do not, including the fact that large amounts of dyes ingested can color stools.

Lakes are the combination of dyes and insoluble material.  Lakes tint by dispersion.  Lakes are not oil soluble, but are oil dispersible.  Lakes are more stable than dyes and are ideal for coloring products containing fats and oils or items lacking sufficient moisture to dissolve dyes.  Typical uses include coated tablets, cake and donut mixes, hard candies and chewing gums, lipsticks, soaps, shampoos, talc etc.

## Other uses 
Because food dyes are generally safer to use than normal artistic dyes and pigments, some artists have used food coloring as a means of making pictures, especially in forms such as body-painting.
Food colorings can be used to dye fabric, but are usually not wash-fast when used on cotton, hemp and other plant fibres. Some food dyes can be fixed on Nylon and animal fibers.

## Criticism and health implications 
In the past, research has not shown any link between  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and food dyes. Newer studies show that synthetic preservatives and artificial coloring agents can make the symptoms of ADD and ADHD worse. The older studies were inclonclusive on this point, perhaps because the  clinical methods of measuring this behavior were inappropriate. Parents' reports of food additives proved to be better indicators whether additives were present than clinical tests. Several major studies show academic performance increased and disciplinary problems decreased in large non-ADD student populations when artificial ingredients and artificial coloring were eliminated from school food programs.
* Norway banned all products containing coal tar and coal tar derivatives in 1978. New legislation lifted this ban in 2001 after EU regulations.  As such, many FD&C approved colorings have been banned.
* Tartrazine causes hives in less than 0.01% of those exposed to it
* Erythrosine is linked to thyroid tumors in rats.

## Related pages 
* Artificial flavoring and other food additives
* Food preservation

## References 
## Other websites 
* FDA/CFSAN Food Color Facts 
* Natural Food Colors (Food-Info)