Food Dyes

 As we write this column, the future of food dyes are being hotly debated. Food dyes are substances added to food to enhance (brighten up) or impart (adding color where none existed) or to offset color loss due to light exposure, air or temperatures.

Dyes can be either natural or artificial. Artificial dyes are synthetically produced. While artificial dyes are widely used to improve the visual appeal of foods, concerns are being raised about potential health impact.

Food dyes have been used, most probably, since food has been produced. People used what they had, whether it was berries or bark, or, during Victorian times, coal tar, arsenic, lead or copper. Since the 1920s, the United States has had rules detailing substances that could be added to the food supply.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conducted extensive testing on artificial food colorings over the year, requiring evidence that a food dye is safe to be used at an intended level. FDA food dye approval details the type of foods that the dye may be used in, the maximum amounts used and how the food dye is to listed on a food label. FDA-approved food dyes are listed on food labels as “FD&C,” as food dyes may be used in foods, drugs or cosmetics.

The FDA has announced it will revoke authorization for FD & C Red No. 3 as a food additive starting January 1, 2027. At the time of this writing, West Virginia will become the first U.S. state to ban all artificial food dyes beginning January 1, 2028. California has banned the use of six artificial food dyes in foods served in public schools, including FD & C Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, taking effect on December 31, 2027

Although artificial food colorings are considered generally safe to consume within FDA guidelines, natural food colors have been growing in popularity over the past decade. These colors are derived from dyes found in nature and are an option for health-conscious consumers or those with sensitivities to artificial dyes.

However, natural food colors tend to fade with light and heat, making them better suited for low- or no-heat applications and products that won’t be exposed to bright lighting for extended periods. In other words, if your cold cereal of choice has red “berries” in it when the box is first opened, the berries may have faded to pale pink, or grey, by the time the box is finished.

Natural food dyes are created from plant, mineral or animal ingredients. Here are some of the most common sources of natural food dyers:

• Red: Beet, Pomegranate
• Pink: Raspberry
• Orange: Carrot, Paprika
• Yellow: Turmeric, Saffron
• Green: Chlorophyll, Matcha, Spinach, Parsley
• Blue: Purple Cabbage, Spirulina
• Purple: Blueberry, Purple Carrots, Ube, Acai
• Brown: Coffee, Cocoa, Cinnamon
• Black: Activated Charcoal, Squid Ink, Black Cocoa

It is possible to find natural food coloring to use at home. Powdered natural food coloring usually comes in small packets or pouches. Natural food coloring is less light-stable and is sensitive to heat, air and acid, and may fade in under 24 hours, making it less ideal for decorating items you may want to keep for several days, such as baked goods or beverages.

When using natural food dyes, remember that the color will usually be less intense and consistent, just as different apples, carrots or berry colors vary from season to season or location to location. The range of colors is limited since fewer natural ingredients can be used to produce dyes. When exposed to heat or bright light, natural food dyes may fade or change colors; reds may turn brown, purples and yellows may fade, greens may turn grey.

Additionally, natural dyes react differently depending on the pH of the food. Some prefer an alkaline base, others an acidic one. This means the same food coloring could turn pink in one recipe and bluish-purple in another. That’s why many natural icing recipes call for vanilla extract or no flavoring at all. Something like lemon extract could alter the acidity and change the final color, which can be very helpful to increase the vibrancy of some natural red food colorings but could ruin other colors.

An interesting natural food dye that has been used since the 1500s is carmine dye. Carmine dye is used to make a vibrant red for foods and cosmetics. It is a colored extract that comes from the dried and crushed shells of female cochineal insects. To create carmine dye, cochineal insects are harvested, dried and ground to produce the dark red color in powder form. Most cochineal insects are harvested in the wild, but there are also places where they are farmed. Traditional cochineal farming involves either cultivating cactus plants that are already infested with insects or adding insects by hand to wild cactus pads.

In other carmine farming methods, baskets containing females are added to cactus pads to reproduce in a controlled environment.

The dye extracted from the insect is boiled, filtered and mixed with basic aluminum salts to produce carmine. Legally, the extract must be pasteurized or treated to destroy any Salmonella microorganisms. Carmine is added to beverages and yogurt, processed meats (such as sausage or artificial crab meat), pastries, juices and cosmetics. Because it is animal-derived, carmine is generally not added to vegetarian, halal or kosher foods.

Please email Nancy at foodprof2@gmail.com for nutrition questions or ideas for future columns