HEALTH EFFECTS

OF COLOUR

ADDITIVES

• Colour has an important implication as far as food is concerned as it plays a major role in the taste and perception of food along with flavour and texture.

• It is a known fact that if food does not look attractive then consumers will probably reject it.

• Manufacturers add colour so that food appeals to the consumers, but at the same time try to retain its natural looks, as far as possible.

Natural appearance is always more appetising then anything that looks unusually coloured. In fact most consumers believe

that colours in foods are their natural colours even though many foods could contain added artificial colours.

How safe are food colors?

•According to Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, a team of professors detected illegal and potentially toxic colours in around 16% of sweets and savouries tested in summer 2013.

•They also found that even with sweets that contained safe colours, 58% exceeded the cap of 100 mg/kg determined by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

•The scientists found six banned dyes in the sweets tested: rhodamine B, orange II, metanil yellow, malachite green, quinoline yellow and auramine. FSSAI allows only eight colours, others are classed as non-permitted colours (NPCs).

• The eight synthetic colours that are permitted by FSSAI to be used are mentioned below.• Red from: Ponceau 4R, Carmoisine, and Erythrosine • Yellow from: Tartrazine and Sunset Yellow FCF • Blue from: Indigo Carmine and Brilliant Blue FCF• Green from: Fast Green FCF

• ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) given by FSSAI of these colors is given below:

Health Implications• Ponceau red is a synthetic red azo dye prepared from

coal tar. Synthetic and artificial food products are notorious for causing allergic reactions and intolerances among people consuming them.

• The possible ill effects of Ponceau red are:1. may elicit reactive responses in people who have

an existing allergy to aspirin.

2. It is also infamous for aggravating an existing asthma problem.

3. It is considered to be a carcinogenic substance in many countries.

4. Ponceau food color is also among the lot of food additives responsible for hyperactivity in young children and kids.

CarmoisineCarmoisine is, as all synthetic azo coal tar dyes,

responsible for bad side effects in astmathics and people allergic to aspirin. It can be a cause of hyperactivity and ADHD in children.

Erythrosineo Bronchoconstriction (combined with Brilliant Blue,

Indigo Carmine)o Sequential vascular responseo Elevation of protein-bound iodideo Thyroid tumorso Chromosomal damage

TartrazineTartrazine is a synthetic food dye.If used alone then tartrazine produces yellow color but if usedwith Brilliant Blue FCF and E142Green S it produces different shades of green and

blue. a) Generally the tartrazine effects are found in the

people who are intolerant to aspirin, fruits, berries and in general salicylates.

b) Often symptoms like anxiety, migraine, weakness, indigestion and patches on the skin are associated with the high intake of tartrazine.

c) Few cases of thyroid cancer has also seen with the consumption of tartrazine yellow. But the tartrazine effects vary from individual to individual.

Sunset Yellow FCF (for colouring food)• Sunset Yellow FCF has no carcinogenicity,

genotoxicity, or developmental toxicity in the amounts at which it is used.

• Sunset Yellow aggravates allergies, triggers skin reactions, and makes managing kids who have ADHD almost impossible.

• Side effects are urticaria (hives), rhinitis (runny nose),

nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumors,chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and

vomiting, indigestion, distaste for food; increased incidence of

tumors in animals.

Indigo Carmine• A dye derived from coal tar, Blue 2 is a common food coloring

that is also used to color the denim in blue jeans.• Reported symptoms include asthma, skin rash and hives, along

with the propensity for the mild to severe allergic reaction which is common to most artificial colorings.

Brilliant Blue FCF The dye is poorly absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract and 95% of theingested dye can be found in the faeces. Some people have been found to experience allergic reactions after consuming products containing E133.

Fast Green FCF• Fast Green FCF is poorly absorbed by the intestines.• Its use as a food dye is prohibited in European Union

and some other countries. It can be used for tinned green peas and other vegetables, jellies, sauces, fish, desserts, and dry bakery mixes.

• This substance has been found to have tumorigenic effects in experimental animals, as well as mutagenic effects in both experimental animals and humans. It furthermore risks irritation of eyes, skin, digestive tract, and respiratory tract in its undiluted form.

• By using the following foods to achieve a specific colour, will ensure you achieve a beautiful (and chemical free) end result!

• Green: spinach juice, parsley juice, liquid chlorophyll, green tea powder

• Orange: pumpkin or carrot juice, paprika powder• Pink: raspberries, beetroot, pomegranate or cranberry juice• Blue: blueberries • Purple: red cabbage, grapes, purple carrot, purple sweet

potato• Yellow: yellow carrots, orange juice, turmeric powder,

saffron flowers• Brown: espresso, cocoa powder or cinnamon• Black: Black cocoa powder or activated charcoal powder

Note To Remember• Some apparently natural food colors sold in stores have used

chemicals to extract the food dye. The chemicals can be present in the "natural" food dye without being listed because the quantity is so small and is part of the processing rather thanan intended part of the finished product. So don't get misled in thinking bought natural colors are chemical-free.

• There is so much more than just what meets the eye. We must be diligent and choosy about what we allow to enter our beings.

• Nowadays, one can not trust the food that one eats as manufacturers add artificial colors which are packed with chemicals. These artificial colors are linked with brain tumors and bladder cancer.

• Using natural food colours will produce more of a pastel colour than the commercially produced dyes so you may need to experiment if you seeking a very specific end result. However, the taste will be better, you won't experience allergic reactions or side effects and your body will thank you!