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For most foods, color might be the last item on the ingredient legend, but the first consideration in the consumer's mind. Color can create new line extensions and invigorate mature brands. Unexpected bursts of "artificial" colors might boost sales, but label-friendly "natural" colors could prove to have the most-enduring appeal, especially in today's market where natural ingredients seem to increasingly draw a premium. Colorful categoriesAs far back as 1,500 B.C., natural colors started to find their way into our culture, often as dyes for cosmetics and fabrics. Various ancient civilizations used annatto to paint their bodies and color their food. Egyptians, Mayans and Incans are all believed to have used carmine or similar dyes derived from female insects to produce magenta dyes for their clothes and lips. When Columbus attempted to discover a faster route to the East Indies, one of the spices he sought was turmeric, a spice used over the centuries to color food, enhance taste and treat various ailments. Manufacturers still use these pigments today to brighten modern foods. The industrial revolution brought changes. By the early 1900s, almost 80 synthetic dyes were found in food, often with little testing or regard for safety. So in 1907, the U.S. government established the first list of seven colors certified as safe and suitable for use in foods. That list of Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) colors -- outlined in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act -- has changed over the years, but interestingly, the United States is currently back to seven certified FD&C colors: Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. FDA defines colors as either certified (commonly known as "artificial"), as noted in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 70, Section 3f, or exempt from certification (typically called "natural"), such as those in 21 CFR, Pt. 70.3g. Besides the seven certified colors, FDA lists 31 colorants exempt from certification for use in foods. The latter group includes the ancient favorites of carmine, annatto and turmeric, plus newer additions, such as beet powder, red-cabbage extract and grape skin. From a regulatory perspective, "natural colors" do not exist. FDA does not consider that any color added to food is natural unless the color is natural to the food product itself -- raspberry juice for a raspberry product, for example. However, consumers have definite and varied opinions on what they perceive as "natural." A natural trendThe past 10 to 15 years have seen a distinct move toward naturals, especially within flavors and colors. "The move is particularly pronounced in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and the northern part of continental Europe. Many consumers associate natural products with superior quality. A good, natural-looking color in a food or beverage will signal high quality, while a washed out or artificially bright product can give the opposite impression. Also, colors derived from well-known sources, such as beetroot, grapes, cabbage and paprika, are more readily recognized and accepted by consumers," according to Luc Ganivet, marketing manager, Chr. Hansen, Montpellier, France. Certain segments of the market are demanding more natural colors. "This shift seems to be driven by consumers who want more natural and/or organic foods, rather than the rejection of widely used colors, such as the FD&C colors. The use of natural colors is most prevalent in beverages that portray a healthy image, yogurt products and in egg-replacement products. In certain food categories, such as cheese, the use of natural colors has been preferred for many years," notes John Foley, laboratory manager for BASF in North America, Florham Park, NJ. Other forces driving the demand for natural colors in the United States include the standards of certain food companies and grocery chains that do not allow artificial colors in their products. Examples are Austin, TX-based Whole Foods and Boulder, CO-based Wild Oats grocery chains, which only sell foods with natural colors, explains Stefan Hake, general manager of GNT USA, Inc., Tarrytown, NY. For many years, natural colors couldn't match their synthetic counterparts, especially with regard to brightness and stability. However, developments in formulation and processing technology have now considerably changed that shortcoming. "The most-important development within process technology has been encapsulation," says Ganivet. "This has brought forward a number of advantages for natural colors, such as improved stability, increased brightness and reduced use of certain additives -- such as emulsifiers -- and reduced color migration."
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Perusing the Food Color Palatte
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