The origin of natural food colors is highly organic as well as natural. They are purely made from natural products by making some extraction procedures. Their principal role is that they impart the desired color to the food when added the desired natural food color. They are purely and completely made from edible natural resources.
Extraction of Natural Food Colours
Natural food colors are made from natural edible food resources by doing some physical or chemical extraction. To get a desired natural food color, one should select a desired color natural edible food resource. Pastes, liquid, gels are all forms of natural food colors. Domestic cooking and commercial level food production both are using natural food colors. Natural food colors are the demanding product of today just because of their natural extraction. These are also demanding due to less impact on humans health. They are not harmful to human health. These are preferred artificial products.
Most Significant Natural Food Colors
Color is one of the main facets that the manufacturers have to keep in mind while developing them. Many of the food colors are degraded with time. They may be degraded when they are heated. These colors must remain as it is thought their shelf life.
Some important natural food colors
Caramels
It is mostly used in soft drinks and baked products. It is a light stable product. It is a temperature stable product. But its stability in the different products is depending upon the quantity of the caramels used. It provides color to baked products.
Riboflavin
It is commonly known as vitamin B-12. It is used in dairy products. It provides color and flavor to them. It is water-soluble.
Carbon black
It is most commonly used in sugar confectionery. It is also light and temperature insoluble.
Some other Important Food Colours
Curcumin
It is the pigment that is obtained from the turmeric. It's color become fade in the light. But it has good stability in the heat. It is a good spice. It gives a yellow color to the food when it is added to them. It is most commonly used in pickles and confectionery. It is the most widely used yellow pigment.
Carotenoids
These are the most commonly used pigment. They are often used to provide the red, orange, yellow color to the food. There are over 400 carotenoids pigments are discovered in the plants and vegetables. These are all used in domestic cooking to provide color to the food. The production of the carotenoids pigments is about 1000 million tons per year. There is no effect of the pH on them. They are all heat soluble. They are in the oil form. They are used in soft drinks. They are used in dairy products.
Chlorophylls
These are the green pigments obtained from the plants. They impart the green color to the food to which they are added.
Ceramic acid
It is a water-soluble pigment.
Betaine
It is water-soluble and has little stability to heat and light.
Anthocyanins
It is a water-soluble pigment. It provides the red, purple, and blue color to the food.
