Food coloring

Food colorants are substances that give color to a food or restore its original color; they include natural components of foods and other elements of natural origin, not normally consumed as food or used as a typical ingredient of foods.
Colorants are preparations obtained from foods and other basic edible materials, of natural origin, obtained through a physical and/or chemical process that involves the selective extraction of pigments, in relation to their nutritional or aromatic components.

Food regulations distinguish between edible colours, which are added directly to foods, and a second group of colours, which can only be used for coloring the surface of foods. Generally, the coloring of surfaces, which concerns for example the rind of cheeses and the decoration of Easter eggs , is not carried out on the edible parts. If they are authorized by the European Union, dyes intended for consumption are marked with numbers preceded by the letter E (Europe); instead, colorants intended for food wrappings and coatings are qualified with a number preceded by the letter C. Food colorants are indicated on labels with the following wording: from E 100 to E 199.
Particular attention must be paid to colorants intended for cosmetics : since these colourants, for example those used for lipstick , can be ingested, they are subject to the same restrictions and controls as food colourants.

For some foods, Italian law prohibits the use of any type of coloring. These foods are: coffee , chocolate , nougat , vinegar , fruit juices , wine , beer , oil , water , bread , pasta , rice , sugar , honey , meat and fish . These products must be offered to the public in their natural color; otherwise it is a fraud to disguise the lack of authenticity of a product or its state of alteration.

The very recent community legislation requires, starting from 20 July 2010, that additional indications appear on the label for some colourants. These are those dyes for which, over the years, studies on the concentration and attention capacity of children, especially in school, have demonstrated a negative influence . Some children are in fact more sensitive to processed foods and show immediate effects immediately after ingesting foods containing dyes. In any case, the toxicity of an additive is always related to the quantity ingested and also depends on the interference with other additives.

Dyes without side effects : Of the currently permitted dyes, this category includes mainly vitamin groups (such as vitamin B2 ), provitamins (such as beta-carotene ) and natural components such as chlorophyll , carotenoid and beetroot . Their safety is undoubted, so much so that they can be used in foods without explicit indications. However, if the addition of these colorings could mask from the consumer the actual quality of the food in which they are contained, they must be reported on the label.

Dyes with side effects : there are various dyes (especially azo ones, i.e. those dyes that formally derive from azobenzene and which therefore present the azo group –N=N– between two aromatic rings of benzene, but also of naphthalene, anthracene or aromatic heterocycles; they are also called azo dyes) on which it is possible to hypothesize a certain risk factor for human health. In particular, cases of allergic reactions may occur , sometimes caused even by very small parts of these dyes, especially in those people who have allergies to acetylsalicylic acid ( aspirin ) as well as to salicylates.
There are many people who, every year, are affected by hives due to allergic reactions to food additives . About 10% of asthmatics react to azo dyes with asthma attacks .

To which foods can colorings be added?

According to the latest provisions, the foods that can be treated with permitted colorings are mainly the following:

Confectionery: icings and sugar-based products, with the exception of liquorice and products prepared with milk , butter , honey, eggs , malt , caramel , cocoa , chocolate, coffee; cocktail cherries ;​ candied fruit , with the exception of candied orange and lemon peels ; packaged ice creams ; marzipan and the like.
Fish: fish roe products; jarred shrimp ; canned salmon fillets .
Other products: low-calorie jams, creams and jellies , puddings , sweet sauces and soups with the exception of products based on cocoa, chocolate, coffee, eggs and caramelized sugar; effervescent drinks, packaged drinks, margarine , cheeses, herbal liqueurs; strawberry , raspberry and cherry preserves .

Information on the packaging:

Due to the long and complicated chemical definitions, the complete indication of colorants on food packaging is not necessary.
According to current regulations, the indication “coloured” or “with coloring” must be printed in clear letters on a visible side of the package, a short distance from the commercial name (for example strawberry sweets with coloring). A more precise characterization must then be reported in the list of ingredients, where it is possible to find the list of additives.

What are the dyes?

Dyes can be classified both based on the color they give to the foods to which they are added and based on their origin. Below we group them based on the first classification.