Food Additives: Colorants

 

Think of the colorful candies, cakes, and sweets we see on grocery store shelves. When we shop, we first get our hands on appetizing foods that look good. For this reason, the most used food additives in the food production sector are Colorants.

Colorants are substances that can be obtained naturally and artificially and are also used in the production of many foods. So what are the currently used colorants and E codes?

Food Colorants: E 100-200

Yellow Food Colorants

• Curcumin (E100): Natural color is obtained from beetroot and the stem of Yellowroot (Curcuma longa and Curcuma domestic). NAME: 1 mg/kg
• Riboflavin (E101): It can be obtained from milk, eggs, liver and vegetables, as well as produced synthetically. NAME: 0.5 mg/kg
• Tartrazine (E102): It is produced synthetically.
• Quinoline Yellow (E104): It is a natural azo dye. Side effects are unknown.
• Yellow 2G (E107): It is a synthetic azo dye. Its use is restricted.
• Sunset Yellow FCF (E110): It is a synthetic azo dye. There is no usage limitation.
• Carotenes (E160a): It is naturally obtained from various plants. It is obtained commercially from carrots. It is a food colorant with colors from yellow to orange.
• Flavoxanthin (E161a): It is naturally obtained from various plants. There is no usage limit.
• Tannins (E181): It is obtained commercially from acorns or synthetically. It is yellow-white in color, but mainly used for flavor.

Red Food Colorants

• Carmine, Carminic acid, Cosinal (E120): It is a natural food colorant extracted from Dactylopius coccus insects.
• Azoburine (E122): It is a synthetic food colorant. There is no usage limitation.
• Amaranth (E123): It is a synthetic food colorant. NAME: 0.5 mg/kg
• Ponso 4R (E124): It is a synthetic food colorant. There is no usage limitation.
• Erythrosine (E127): It is a food colorant containing synthetic iodine. There is no usage limitation.
• Red 2G (E128): It is a synthetic food colorant. Its use is very limited.
• Alura Red (E129): It is a synthetic food colorant. Its use in meat products and confectionery is limited.
• Paprika Extract (E160c): It is naturally obtained from bell pepper. It is a deep red food colorant.
• Lycopene (E160d): It is obtained commercially from tomato. It is a deep red food colorant.
• ß-Apo-8'-carotenal (E160e): It is a natural colorant that can be obtained from many plants and carotene.
• Ethyl-ß-apo-8'-carotenate (ethyl ester of ß-apo-8'-carotenic acid) (E160f): It is obtained from many plants. It is a deep red food colorant.
• Litholrubin BK (E180): It is a synthetic azo dye containing aluminum and calcium. It is used in cheeses.
 

Blue Food Colorants

• Patent Blue V (E131): It is a synthetic blue food colorant. Its use is not limited.
• Brilliant Blue FCF (E133): Synthetic blue food colorant. It is used in foods such as ice cream. There is no usage limit.

Green Food Colorants

• Chlorophyll (E140): It is a natural green food colorant. It is commercially extracted from nettle, grass and alfalfa.
• Chlorophyll Copper Complexes (E141): The synthetic copper complex of chlorophyll (E140) is a natural green colorant found in all plants and algae. E141 is commercially extracted from nettle, grass and alfalfa.
• Brilliant Green BS (E142): It is a synthetic green food colorant. Its use is not limited.

Brown - Black Food Colorants

• Caramel (E150): It is obtained by dry heating and burning of sugar. It is used for coloring from brown to black.
• Gloss Black BN (E151): Synthetic black food colorant. ADI is very low and its use is limited.
• Vegetable Carbon (E153): Obtained by burning vegetables. Its use is limited due to its water-soluble feature.
• Brown FK (E154): It is a synthetic brown food colorant. Its use is limited to some fish products.
• Brown HT (E155): It is a synthetic brown food colorant. Its use is limited to confectionery and bakery products.
 

White Food Colorants

• Calcium Carbonate (E170): Widely available, natural metal.
• Titanium Dioxide (E171): It is a natural white mineral used for surface coating.

Silver Gray - Gold Food Colorants

• Aluminum (E173): It is a silver gray natural metal. It is widely used.
• Silver (E174): Used for surface coating. Rarely used food colorant.
• Gold (E175): It is used for surface coating. Rarely used food colorant.