NATURAL FOOD COLOURS OR ADDITIVES

NATURAL FOOD COLOURS 

AND 

ADDITIVES

What Are Natural Food Colours?

Natural food colours originate from a wide range of sources like vegetables, fruits, plants, minerals and another edible natural sources like, turmeric, spinach, carrot, paprika, beetroot, black carrot, algae blue, red cabbage, etc. 

These colours are red, yellow, orange, green, black, blue and brown. 

USED OF NATURAL COLORS:

Food colouring is used in both;

1. Commercial food production includes soft drinks, confectionary, baking products, dairy desserts, fruit juices, jellies, jams, etc.
2. In domestic cooking like restaurants, cuisine, etc. 

pH EFFECT ON NATURAL COLOURS:

Changing the pH level alters the shade and stability of the colour. most of the colours have changed colour on different pHs like red anthocyanin colour shade changes on alkaline pH to purple.

TEMPERATURE ON NATURAL COLOURS:

Changing the temperature level alters the shade, colouration, and stability of the colour. Most of the colours faded at 45C to 50C in sunlight but using natural oxidants to stabilise colours for 6-12 months.

TYPES OF NATURAL COLOURS:

• Anthocyanin - E163
• Betanin - E162
• Blue Spirulina Extract 
• Carminic Acid - E120
• Curcumin -  E100 & E102
• Carotenoids - E160a - E160g
• Carbon Black - E153
• Caramels - E150a - E150d
• Chlorophyll / Chlorophyllin - E140 & E141
• Riboflavin - E101
• Calcium Carbonate - E170
• Titanium Dioxide - E171

NATURAL COLOURS SHADED:

Anthocyanin 

• E-Code - E163
• Shade - Red to Purple
• Naturally Occurring - Black Grapes, Black-currents, Cherries, Elderberries, Red Cabbage, Strawberries

Betanin 

• E-Code - E162
• Shade - Red & Pink
• Naturally Occurring - Beetroot

Blue Spirulina Extract

• E-Code - E163 / Spirulina
• Shade - Blue
• Natural Occurring - Phycocyanin

Carminic Acid

• E-Code - E120
• Shade - Red 
• Naturally Occurring - Cochineal

Curcumin 

• E-Code - E100 & E102
• Shade - Yellow
• Naturally Occurring -Turmeric

Carotenoids 

• E-Code - E160a - E160d
• Shade - Yellow, Orange, Red
• Naturally Occurring - Annatto, Carrots, Oranges, Prawns, Red Peppers, Saffron, Tomatoes, Palm Fruit

Carbon Black 

• E-Code - E153
• Shade - Black
• Naturally Occurring - Carbonized Vegetable Material, Heating Sucrose or Glucose Under Controlled Conditions

Caramels 

• E-Code - E150a - E150d
• Shade - Brown
• Naturally Occurring - Melanoidins, Caramelized Sugar, Malt Extract

Chlorophyll / Chlorophyllin 

• E-Code - E140 & E141
• Shade - Green
• Naturally Occurring - Alfalfa Grass, Nettles, Parsley, Spinach

Riboflavin

• E-Code - E101
• Shade - Yellow
• Naturally Occurring - Eggs, Milk, Yeast

Calcium Carbonate

• E-Code - E170
• Shade - White
• Naturally Occurring - Rice Starch, Calcium Carbonate

Titanium Dioxide

• E-Code - E171
• Shade - White
• Naturally Occurring - Titanium Dioxide