Riboflavin occurs as a yellow to orange-yellow, crystalline powder. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is a water-soluble vitamin. It is synthesized by all plants and many microorganisms, but it is not produced by higher animals.
Riboflavin is widely used as an additive to foodstuffs and feedstuffs. It is used in foods predominantly for fortification. It has E number 101. Riboflavin has a distinctive yellow color and it fluoresce's when exposed to ultraviolet light. However, riboflavin is degraded by both ultraviolet and visible light, so food supplements colored with riboflavin should be protected from light.
Riboflavin can be used to color convenient foods, soft drinks, cheese and cheese products, dairy products, bakery goods, fish products, canned fruits and vegetables, confectionery, desert powder, sherbets, jams and jellies, soups, mayonnaise and salad dressing, fats and oils, mustard and flavorings.
Riboflavin is important for the growth, development, and function of the cells in human body. It also helps turn the food eaten into the energy needed.
Riboflavin as food coloring
