Colorants, coloring agents

作者：admin  点击次数：160  发布时间：2025-05-23

(-) Colorants
Colorants, also known as pigments, are substances that give food color and improve food color. Edible pigments can be divided into two categories according to their properties and sources: edible synthetic pigments and edible natural pigments.
1. Edible synthetic pigments Edible synthetic pigments refer to organic pigments made by artificial synthesis methods. They are mostly made of benzene, toluene, and other chemical products, and are synthesized through a series of organic reactions such as sulfonation, nitration, halogenation, and azodation. According to their chemical structure, they can be divided into two categories: azo and non-azo. At present, almost all synthetic pigments allowed for use in countries around the world are water-soluble pigments, insoluble in oils and ethers, and slightly soluble or insoluble in ethanol. Characteristics of edible synthetic pigments: bright colors, stable properties, strong coloring power, high firmness, can obtain any color, low cost, and easy to use. However, most synthetic pigments are harmful to the human body. Some are directly toxic to the human body, and some produce harmful substances during metabolism, or are contaminated by arsenic, lead or other harmful compounds during production. The toxic effects of artificial synthetic pigments on the human body may have three aspects, namely, laxative, organ damage and carcinogenicity. Therefore, strict hygienic management must be carried out on colorants, especially synthetic pigments. The purity, specifications, dosage and types of food allowed for the products produced by the manufacturers must meet the hygienic and safety standards.

The synthetic pigments currently allowed for use in my country include amaranth, carmine, erythrosine (cherry red), new red, allura red, lemon yellow, sunset yellow, brilliant blue, indigo and their respective aluminum lakes, as well as synthetic B-carotene, sodium copper chlorophyllin and titanium dioxide.

(1) The chemical name of amaranth is 1-(4'-sulfo-1'-naphthylazo)-2-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic acid trisodium salt (edible red No. 2). It is a reddish brown uniform powder or granules, odorless, light-resistant and heat-resistant (105°C), stable to citric acid and tartaric acid, and turns dark red in alkaline solution. It is easily soluble in water, soluble in glycerin, slightly soluble in ethanol, and insoluble in oil. This product is easy to fade when it comes into contact with copper and iron, and is easily decomposed by bacteria. It has poor oxidation resistance and reducibility, and is not suitable for fermented food.
An experiment in which amaranth red was given to rats orally at a dose of 50 mg once found that this product was less absorbed from the digestive tract, not exceeding 2.8% of the total amount of administration. It was mainly decomposed by bacteria in the intestine, and a part of it was reduced in the liver to cause the breakage of the azo group bond, and then excreted from the body through bile and urine.
The scope of use and dosage of amaranth red are shown in Table 4-11.
Table 4-11
Additive name
Amaranth
Application scope and dosage of amaranth
Application scope
Honey money preserved fruit, decorative fruits and vegetables, candy, pastry decoration, fruit and vegetable juice (meat) ingredients, carbonated beverages, flavored beverages (including fruit-flavored beverages, milk-flavored, tea-flavored and other flavored beverages) (limited to fruit-flavored beverages), blended wine, jelly
Maximum dosage/(g/kg)
0.25
(2) Carmine The chemical name is 1-(4'-sulfo-1'-naphthylazo)-2-hydroxy-6,8-naphthalene disulfonic acid trisodium salt (edible red No. 7), red to dark red uniform powder or granules, odorless, light-resistant, heat-resistant (105℃), stable to citric acid and tartaric acid. Poor reduction resistance, turns brown when exposed to alkali. Easily soluble in water to form a red solution. Soluble in glycerol, poorly soluble in ethanol, insoluble in oil. This product is the most widely used pigment among red food pigments.
Animal experiments have not found carmine to be carcinogenic or teratogenic.
The scope of use and amount of carmine are shown in Table 4-12.
Table 4-12
Additive name
Carmine
Scope of use and amount of carmine
Scope of use
Edible animal casings, collagen casings (casings), plant protein beverages
Recombined milk, flavored and fruit fermented milk, recombined condensed milk (including sweetened condensed milk, flavored sweetened condensed milk and other recombined condensed milk using non-dairy ingredients), frozen drinks (except 03.04 edible ice), candied fruit, salted vegetables, cocoa products, chocolate and chocolate products (including quasi-chocolate and chocolate substitutes) and candy (except 05.04 fruit fillings, toppings and sweet juices), shrimp-flavored slices, cakes Decorative decorations, baked food fillings (limited to biscuit fillings and cake fillings), fruit and vegetable juice (meat) drinks, milk-containing drinks, carbonated drinks, flavored drinks (including fruit-flavored drinks, milk-flavored, tea-flavored and other flavored drinks) (limited to fruit-flavored drinks), mixed alcohol, jelly, puffed food, etc.
Decorative fruits and vegetables
Prepared milk powder and prepared cream powder (including flavored milk powder and flavored cream powder)
Flavored syrup, mayonnaise, salad dressing
Jam, fruit flavored syrup, semi-solid compound seasoning (except 12.10.02.01 egg yolk sauce and salad dressing)
Maximum usage/(g/kg)
0. 025
0. 05
0. 1
0. 15
0.2
0.5
(3) Lemon yellow Its chemical name is 3-carboxyl-5-hydroxy-1-(4'-sulfophenyl)-4-(4'-sulfophenylazo)-o-amino trisodium salt (edible yellow No. 5). It is a water-soluble pigment, also soluble in glycerol and propylene glycol, slightly soluble in ethanol, insoluble in oils and fats, stable to heat, acid, light and salt, poor oxygen resistance, turns red when exposed to alkali, and fades when reduced. Although lemon yellow is an azo dye, it is considered to be the least toxic of synthetic pigments. No adverse reactions were found when dogs were fed with food containing % lemon yellow for 2 years. No tumors were found when fed with 1.5% for 64 weeks or 5% for 2 years. The main problem of lemon yellow is its allergenicity. According to statistics, one in every 10,000 people is allergic to lemon yellow. Its allergic symptoms include urticaria, asthma and angioedema, which are potentially life-threatening. The scope of use and dosage of lemon yellow are shown in Table 4-13.
Table 4-13
Additive Name
Lemon Yellow
Scope of Use and Usage of Lemon Yellow
Scope of Use
Flavored and fruit fermented milk, condensed milk (including sweetened condensed milk, flavored sweetened condensed milk and other condensed milk with non-milk ingredients), frozen drinks (except 03.04 edible ice), baked food fillings (limited to biscuit sandwiches and cake sandwiches), jelly
Ready-to-eat cereals, including rolled Yanlong (slices)
Honey money cold fruit, decorative fruits and vegetables, salted vegetables, cocoa products, chocolate and chocolate products (including chocolate-like and chocolate substitutes) and candy (except 05.01.01 cocoa products), shrimp-flavored slices, cut-to-color decorations, spice sauces (such as mustard sauce, mustard sauce). Ingredients (except packaged drinking water in 14.01), prepared alcoholic beverages, fried snacks