ABSTRACT

Color is one of the most important quality attributes of

foods and, no matter how nutritious, flavorful, or well

textured, a food is unlikely to be eaten unless it has

the right color, which is influenced by many factors,

including cultural, geographic, and sociological aspects

of the population (1-3). Color in foods is due to naturally occurring pig-

ments, which are normal constituents of cells. Many

pigments are, unfortunately, unstable during proces-

sing and storage. Depending on the pigment, stability

is impacted by factors such as light, oxygen, heavy

metals, oxidizing or reducing agents, temperature,

water activity, and pH (1,3). Colorants are sometimes added to foods to help

preserve the identity or character by which foods are

recognized; to intensify the natural color of food; to

correct for natural variations in color; to ensure

uniformity of color from batch to batch due to natural

variations in color intensity; to restore the original

appearance of the food when natural colors have been

altered during processing and storage; and to enhance

colors naturally occurring in foods but in less intensity

than the consumer would expect. They are also used to

give an attractive appearance to certain colorless

foods, such as imitation foods, and to help protect

flavor and light-sensitive vitamins during storage

via sunscreen effects. However, it has also been used

for adulteration purposes-to disguise food of poor

quality, to mask decay, to redye food, to mask effects

of aging, or to simulate a higher biological value

(2,4,5). Colorants can be either natural or synthetic.