The color of food is considered important in its enjoyment.

Coloring adds interest and appeal: Heinz's recent release of green ketchup is only the tip of the iceberg. While foods like Froot Loops are obviously artificially colored, few people know that oranges can be as well. H. J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ), commonly known as just Heinz, famous for its 57 Varieties slogan, was founded in 1869 by Henry John Heinz in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. ... Organic Ketchup, a 21st century condiment Ketchup (or catsup) is a popular condiment, usually made with ripened tomatoes. ... Canadian Froot Loops ad, Toucan Sam with a straw Toucan Sam and Brian of Family Guy auditioning to be the Froot Loops mascot. ...

Color variation in foods throughout season and the effects of processing and storing often make color addition necessary to maintain the expected color. Some of the primary reasons include:

• Offsetting color loss due to light, air, extremes of temperature, moisture, and the storage conditions.
• Masking natural variations in color.
• Enhancing naturally occurring colors.
• Providing identity to foods.
• Protecting flavors and vitamins.

Food colorings are tested for safety by various bodies around the world. In the United States, FD&C (standing for the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) numbers are given to approved dyes, while in the European Union E numbers are used. The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. ... The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. ... For the mathematical constant see: E (mathematical constant). ...

Facts

• FD&C Yellow No. 5, also known as Tartrazine, is a coal-tar derivative, and causes hives in one of each ten thousand people exposed to it.
• FD&C Red No. 3 is linked to thyroid tumors in rats.
• American industry puts 3000 tons of food color into processed food per year.
• Chemically, there is no distinction between a compound synthesized within a plant and the same compound synthesized by a laboratory.

The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. ... Tartrazine (otherwise known as E102 or FD&C Yellow 5) is a synthetic yellow azo dye found in fruit squash, fruit cordial, coloured fizzy drinks, instant puddings, cake mixes, custard powder, soups, sauces, ice cream, ice lollies, sweets, chewing gum, marzipan, jam, jelly, marmalade, mustard, yogurt and many convenience foods... Tartrazine (otherwise known as E102 or FD&C Yellow 5) is a synthetic yellow azo dye found in fruit squash, fruit cordial, coloured fizzy drinks, instant puddings, cake mixes, custard powder, soups, sauces, ice cream, ice lollies, sweets, chewing gum, marzipan, jam, jelly, marmalade, mustard, yogurt and many convenience foods... Coal tar is the liquid by-product of the distillation of coal to make coke. ... Urticaria or Hives is a relatively common form of allergic reaction that causes. ... The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. ... Erythrosine is a cherry-pink coal based food dye. ... See the article about cancer for the main article about malignant tumors. ...

Natural food dyes

Caramel coloring is found in Coca-Cola and other cola products. It is made from caramelized sugar. Annatto is a reddish-orange dye made from the seed of a tropical tree. Chlorella is green, and derived from algae. Cochineal is a red dye derived from cochineal insects. Beet juice, turmeric, saffron and paprika are also used as colorants. Several differnt brands of cola. ... A sugar is a carbohydrate which is sweet to taste. ... A new article is underway at Talk:Annatto/Temp which conforms to the template laid out at Wikipedia:WikiProject-Herbs-and-Spices/Template. ... A dye can generally be described as a coloured substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. ... Chlorella is a collective name for a single celled algae. ... The algae (singular alga) comprise several different groups of living things that produce energy through photosynthesis. ... Binomial name Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1835 Synonyms Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect in the suborder Homoptera, native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico. ... Binomial name Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1835 Synonyms Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect in the suborder Homoptera, native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico. ... Binomial name Beta vulgaris L. The beet is a plant with a rounded fleshy taproot. ... Binomial name Curcuma longa Linnaeus Turmeric (Curcuma longa, also known as tumeric or curcumin) is a spice commonly used in curries and other south Asian cooking. ... Saffron is the name given to the dried stigma and part of the style of the saffron crocus, traditionally called Crocus sativus, which are harvested, dried, and used for cooking. ... Species Capsicum annuum Paprika is a sweet-to-mildly hot cultivar of the chile pepper (Capsicum annuum, of the family Solanaceae). ...

Health problems

Many of the artificial food colorings cause reactions in sensitive individuals ranging from hyperactivity to depression to asthma-like symptoms. Dr. Benjamin Feingold pioneered research in the field and founded an organization devoted to helping sensitive individuals stay away from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Hyperactivity can be described as a state in which a person is abnormally easily excitable and exuberant. ... Clinical depression is a health condition of depression with mental and physical components reaching criteria generally accepted by clinicians. ... A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ...

Individuals who have asthmatic symptoms when exposed to Yellow Dye No. 5 can also be allergic to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and salicylic acid, and are cautioned to avoid them. Asthma is a chronic lung condition affecting populations around the world. ... Tartrazine (otherwise known as E102 or FD&C Yellow 5) is a synthetic yellow azo dye found in fruit squash, fruit cordial, coloured fizzy drinks, instant puddings, cake mixes, custard powder, soups, sauces, ice cream, ice lollies, sweets, chewing gum, marzipan, jam, jelly, marmalade, mustard, yogurt and many convenience foods... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) widely marketed under various trademarks including Act-3, Advil, Brufen, Motrin, Nuprin, and Nurofen; a standing joke about some hikers regular use has produced Vitamin I as slang term for it. ... Salicylic acid is a colorless, crystalline organic carboxylic acid. ...

Norway has banned all coal tar containing products, and coal tar derivatives. As such, many FD&C approved colourings have been banned. The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the Food and Drug Administration to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics. ...

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 beverages, dry mixes, baked goods, confections, dairy products, pet foods and a variety of other products. A dye can generally be described as a coloured substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. ... A substance is soluble in a fluid if it dissolves in the fluid. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ... A dye can generally be described as a coloured substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. ... Dairy farm near Oxford, New York, July 2001 In many northern-hemisphere countries a dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk (mostly from cows, sometimes from buffaloes, sheep or goats) for human consumption. ...

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. Dispersion can mean any of several things: A phenomenon that causes the separation of a wave into components of varying frequency. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ... A substance is soluble in a fluid if it dissolves in the fluid. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ... Dispersion can mean any of several things: A phenomenon that causes the separation of a wave into components of varying frequency. ... A dye can generally be described as a coloured substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. ... For the connotation of the term relating to chemistry, see Solvation. ... A dye can generally be described as a coloured substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. ...

Other uses

Some artists have used food coloring as a means of making pictures, often using them to paint the human body. An artist is someone who employs creative talent to produce works of art. ...

External links

• FDA/CFSAN Food Color Facts
• Basic Guide to Food Color Concentrates
• Dr. Feingold's take on artificial food colorings
• Common food colors, preservatives, and enhancers