Color retention agents

According to Codex Alimentarius, color retention agents are food additive added to food and beverage which stabilize, retain or intensify the color of a product.

Color is a powerful tool that can be used to get attention, enhance clarity, establish a code, label things in nature and differentiate items. Color retention agents offset color loss, correct natural variations in color, improve colors that occur naturally, and add color to colorless foods.

Example of color retention agents -
*Sodium bisulfite: applied to meat, hominy, bananas

*Ferrous gluconate: in vitamins and minerals supplement, also in infant formula

*Ascorbic acid: applied to fruit and vegetable-based drinks, juices and baby foods, fat-containing cereal-based foods including biscuits and rusks. Ascorbic acid is often added to brightly colored fruits such as peaches during canning.
Color retention agents

Food colorant of carotenoid

The carotenoids, particularly their nature-identical synthetic counter parts, beta-app-8’-carotenal,beta-carotene ash canthaxanthin, are popular food colorants.

The carotenoids add yellow, red and orange pigmentation to foods. Beta-carotene and beta-apo-8’-carotenal have vitamin activity but canthaxanthin does not.

Federal regulations permit addition of beta-carotene to foods at any concentration but specify maximum limits for beta-app-8’ carotenal (1.5 mg/lb or pinto food).

Beta-carotene is used to colour margarine, shortening, butter, cheese, baked goods, confections, ice cream, egg nog, macaroni products, soups, juices, and beverages.

Beta-apo-8’-carotenal may be used to colour juices, fruit drink, soups, jams, jellies, gelatine, processed cheese, margarine, sale dressing and fats and oils.
Carotenoid as food colorant

Functions of nitrites as food additive

Nitrites are used as food preservatives and color enhancers, though they are so toxic they have caused deaths and combine with amines to produce carcinogens.

Nitrites and also nitrates are used as food additive, mainly in meat and meat products. Nitrite gives cured meat its characteristic color and flavor but more importantly, nitrites inhibit microbial growth, especially Clostridium botulinum.

Sodium nitrite will actually react with the myoglobin in meat and protect the red color for a long period on time. It is used in all processed meat products, which include: Vienna sausage, smoke-cured fish products, hot dogs, bacon, lunchmeats and canned meats.

It is generally accepted that approximately 40 fg/g nitrite is sufficient to attain and maintain a stable cure color, but considerably more nitrite has been regarded as necessary to inhibit growth of Clostridium botulinum, that amount being dependent on a combination of factors including the salt level, initial pH of the product, temperature of the presence of the chemical.
Functions of nitrites as food additive

Caramel coloring

Caramel is considered a natural color. However, when caramel coloring is added to a product, the product name must be qualified to indicate the presence of artificial coloring. Caramel coloring is freely soluble in water and insoluble in most organic solvents. Its solubility in solution containing 50-70% alcohol varies with the type of caramel.

The specific gravity of caramel coloring syrups ranges from 1.25 to 1.38; the total solids content varies from 50 to 75%.

Caramel coloring is produced by cooking a carbohydrate solution at very high temperatures with or without ammonium or sulfite compounds.

The pH of the acid-proof caramels used for carbonated beverages and acidified solutions is normally 2.8 – 3.5.

The type of caramels used for coloring beer, Caramel Color III utilizes ammonium compounds (such a ammonium hydroxide, carbonate, bicarbonate and phosphate) as reactant to promote caramelization.

Using caramel coloring offers brewers a convenient means of ensuring consistent beer color without modifying beer flavor.

Most bakers’ caramels, which are also refined grade of colorant used for cookies, cakes, bread, and so on, have a higher pH because of differences in their manufacturing processes.

Caramel coloring may not be added directly to the formulation of a raw product where the cancel coloring becomes an integral part of the total product.
Caramel coloring

Chlorophyll as food additive

Chlorophyll is the well known green pigment of plants. Higher plants and green algae contain chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B in the approx ration of 3:1. Chlorophyll C is found together with chlorophyll A in many types of marine algae.

Because of the light and acid sensitivity of there magnesium-chelated porphyrin structures, chlorophylls are the least useful food colours, The green colour is easily destroyed under even the mildest processing conditions.

Natural chlorophylls for the food colorant market have been extracted from an assortment of green leaves, but usually land plants such as several pasture grasses lucerne, and nettles. The choice of raw material must take into account high-yield producton, availability and convenience of harvesting and dying, chlorophyll comet facility of extraction, and desirability of low chlorophyllase activity. 

Chlorophyll extracts are not permitted for food use in the United States. However they may be added to foods in the form of green vegetables. In such cases, they are classified as food ingredients.
Chlorophyll as food additive

Coloring in softdrink

Coloring agent is one of the major ingredients of soft drinks. Coloring agents are used in order to maintain a uniform color in the beverage from batch to batch. Color added for esthetic or sales appeal or to hide colors that are either unappealing or show a lack of freshness.

Colors are also used to sharpen the consumer’s appetite. Food color changes easily by heating or oxidation, and thus food colors are used to compensate for colors of food.

In general, synthetic food colors and natural coloring ingredients like caramel are used. Iodine also has been used as red food coloring in carbonated soft drinks.

A synthetic color refers to a color that is made from petroleum or coal products by virtue of being a synthetic coloring, each production batch requires FDA certification before it can be legally used in food. 

Caramel in beverages gives them dark to light brown color and is usually associated with flavor of the type derived from roots, leaves, herbs and berries.

Caramel is an emulsifying agent as well as a colorant, In soft drinks, it helps keep the flavor oils suspended in the solution.
Coloring in softdrink

Coloring Agents as Food Additive

Coloring Agents as Food Additive
A color additive is any die, pigment, or substance that imparts color when added or applied to a food, drug, cosmetic, or human body. The term “FD&C” is applied to ‘food color additive’ approved by the FDA for food, drug and cosmetic usage, “D&C” is used for approved ‘drug and cosmetic coloring agents’, and “external D&C” is granted to approved ‘color additive applied externally.’ The synthetic coloring agents are assigned FD&C classifications by initials, the shade and a number, for example, FD&C Red#40, and FD&C Yellow #5.

Coloring agents are added to foods because of the sensory appeal they provide, for the purpose of making processed foods look more appetizing. For example, colors are used in baked products, candies, dairy products such as butter, margarine and ice cream, gelatin desserts, jams and jellies in order to improve their appearance. It has been said that people “eat with their eyes” as well as their plates.

There are thousands of foods that use colors to maker them looks appetizing and attractive. The primary reasons for adding coloring agents include the following:

• Offsetting color loss due to exposure to air, light, moisture and storage
• To correct natural variations in color or enhance color
• To provide visual appeal to wholesome and nutritious foods
• To provide color to foods that would otherwise be colorless, including “fun foods” and special foods for various holidays
  

Pigment may be derived from natural sources such as plant, mineral or animal sources primarily the former. Some of the same ingredients added to foods for their health benefits, also offer “natural” coloring. These includes anthocyanins, carotenoids, chlorophylls, foods such as beets (betalains), cabbage, tomatoes (lycopene), and number of other flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Synthetic coloring agents are generally less expensive than the natural colorants, are more intense, and have better coloring power, uniformity, and stability when exposed to environmental conditions such as heat and light. They may be water soluble or made water insoluble by the addition of aluminum hydroxide. Only small quantities of granules, a paste, a power or solution are needed in foods to achieve the desired color effects.
Coloring Agents as Food Additive