Have you ever wondered how food is colored? The answer is through pigments. Pigments are chemical substances that through a very simple process can provide the color you are looking for to any type of food, these pigments can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial.
Natural pigments are those obtained from natural sources, such as fruits, vegetables, insects and herbs. Examples of natural pigments include chlorophyll, which gives green color to leaves, and betalain, which gives red color to beets and some fruits. Natural pigments are a healthy and sustainable option for coloring foods, as they contain no artificial chemicals and are obtained from natural sources.
Artificial pigments, on the other hand, are those that are chemically synthesized in the laboratory. Examples of artificial pigments include red 40 and yellow 6, which are widely used in the food industry to color a wide variety of products, from beverages to confectionery to processed foods. Although artificial pigments may have some innate advantages of synthetic products, they bring in countermeasure a number of harmful disadvantages for consumers. First, they may contain artificial chemicals that can be harmful to health and the environment. In addition, some artificial pigments can cause allergic reactions and have known side effects.
For this reason, natural colorants are experiencing a strong positive trend in their application in many food products and the use of artificial colorants in everyday products is becoming less and less frequent.
At IMBAREX we have a portfolio of natural dyes suitable for use in all types of food and beverages. Contact us here so that our staff of experts can help you choose the right colorant for your product.
