Baking & Snack - October 2010 - 51

COLORS & FLAVORS

Storm Warning

The color additives approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) are safe when used properly, said Linda Katz, MD, MPH, director
of the Office of Cosmetics and Colors in FDA's Center for Food Safety
and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). "In the case of a new color additive, FDA
determines if there is a 'reasonable certainty of no harm' under the color
additive's proposed conditions of use," she observed.
Yet controversy has long swirled around the use of color additives in
foods, especially those synthetically produced. Critics of these materials link them to hyperactivity and learning disabilities in children. This
theory was first raised in the 1970s, but well-controlled studies done
in the US produced no such evidence, according to FDA. A Consensus
Development Panel convened by the National Institutes of Health concluded in 1982 that no scientific evidence could be found to support
the claim that colorings or other food additives caused hyperactivity.
However, research into this concern continued. In 2007, the UK's
Food Safety Agency (FSA) released a study about food additives commissioned by its independent Committee on Toxicology and done at
the University of Southampton. Scientists looked into the effects of
color additives on the behavior of children drawn from the general
population and across a range of hyperactivity and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) severities. The researchers gave nearly
300 subjects two different blends of various food colors plus sodium
benzoate, a common preservative, in beverage formats. At the end of
the study, they recommended that eliminating certain artificial
additives from the diet could have some benefit for hyperactive
kids or those with ADHD.
Despite the careful wording of the report, popular outcry for
elimination of the color additives ensued, and within a few months,
FSA recommended that food manufacturers discontinue use of the colors (with E-numbers noted) tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104),
sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124) and allura
red (E129). The EU went even further and, as of January, required food
and beverage products made with these colors to carry a warning label,
reading "Warning: [Name of color] may have an adverse effect on
activity and attention in children."
Three of the colors from the UK study are color additives certified
by FDA for use in foods sold in the US: tartrazine (FD&C Yellow No. 5),
sunset yellow (FD&C Yellow No. 6) and allura red (FD&C Red No. 40).
In June 2008, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer
watchdog group, formally petitioned FDA to require a warning label
on foods containing any of the certified color additives. The Grocery
Manufacturers Association strongly objected to the petition, and the
National Confectioners Association noted that such a ban does not
have sufficient scientific support. No action has been taken by FDA.

BAKING & SNACK / October 2010

high intensity means "more for the bottom line" when
coloring foods. The company's naturally stabilized fruit
and vegetable juices in this line offer attractive red shades
for baked foods, cakes, fillings, crackers, snacks and RTE
cereals. "Additionally, we developed plating-grade natural colors for seasonings that are perfect for converting
formulations from synthetic to natural colors," she noted.
Kalsec, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI, uses a patented stabilizing system to produce its Durabrite color line, based on
paprika, annatto and carrot. This method addresses the
problem of carotenoid pigment oxidation, associated
with loss of color and production of rancid or off-flavors
and aromas. Results, according to the company, are
exceptional color and flavor stability.
Turning to purple corn, Suntava, Afton, MN, created a
new line of natural color additives. The fact that these are
sourced from corn makes them compatible with grainbased foods, contributing no off-tastes or smells, according to Bill Petrich, the company's c.e.o. "Not surprisingly,
the color smells very faintly just like the corn from which
it is derived," he said.
Like other natural-source colors, these ingredients
rely on pH to control their color effects. Mr. Petrich
explained, "For example, at pH levels of 3 (lemony or
citrus), the colors are strawberry, cherry, raspberry red
in color. At higher pH of 4 to 5, the colors become more
grape in color. Above pH 6, the colors become the richly
dark to black colors now associated with the healthy
trend in dark vegetables and grains that contain high
levels of anthocyanin nutrients."
ALTERED STATES. The form of the color makes a difference, too. Color additives usually take the form of liquid
dyes or powdered lakes. The lakes are made by combining dyes with mineral salts to yield insoluble compounds
that tint by dispersion. Lakes are not oil-soluble but
are oil-dispersible and are more stable than dies. "Traditionally, the vast majority of natural colors have been
dyes, which are fine for coloring solutions but not very
effective for coloring where coverage or coating is
required," Mr. Greaves said.
He observed that the main exception has been
carmine lake. He described this as "a very effective"
pigment, but it has become increasingly unacceptable to
some customers because it is not vegan, kosher or halal
and has been identified as an allergen.
Carmine is a bright red color derived from the ground
bodies of cochineal insects that feed on South American
cactus. Although an exempt color additive, this material
must be labeled in ingredient listings on food packaging
as "carmine" or "cochineal" under FDA regulations that
go into effect Jan. 5, 2011.
Mr. Greaves described the process for manufacturing his
company's VIVAPIGMENTS line. "Natural vegetable dyes

Baking & Snack - October 2010

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