Food that tends to lose its naturally pleasing hue during processing and storage is often colored, especially when commercial food is involved, like that sold in supermarkets and restaurants.
Additionally, producers use it to create sweet snacks and drinks. However, recent studies suggest that when ingested in significant numbers, food colors can have harmful effects.
A study earlier this month in the journal Food Chemistry Advances found that non-permitted textile colors are to blame for the majority of food-borne illnesses that have been documented.
In the traditional toxicity trials, the majority of the food colors evaluated exhibited harmful effects even at very high ingestion levels. The majority of reported food-borne illnesses are caused by
In the traditional toxicity trials, the majority of the food colors evaluated exhibited harmful effects even at very high ingestion levels. According to the study, intake of non-permitted textile colors is to blame for the majority of food-borne illnesses.
According to the study, food dyes have been shown to contain the probable carcinogens bededrine, 4-aminobiphenyl, and 4-aminoazobenzene. Due to their low concentrations, which are thought to be safe, these pollutants are permitted in the dyes.
It claims that food makers employ synthetic food colors more frequently than natural food colors to achieve specific qualities including low cost, superior look, high color intensity, more color stability, and consistency.
There are many different meals and beverages on the market, some of which may include illegal synthetic colors or excessive amounts of legal ones. According to the article, this could result in serious health issues like cancer, mutations, decreased hemoglobin concentrations, and allergic reactions.
According to the survey, 60% of the beverages breached the label requirement by not using the correct color components.
The artificial colors come in granular, powder, and lake color varieties (water insoluble)
The principal applications for the colors are in baking, drinks, confectionery (jellies, chewing gum, cream/paste, gums and chews), cosmetics and toiletries, dairy and ice cream, meat and savouries, seafood, medicines, and pet food.
Red 40, yellow 5, and yellow 6 may include pollutants known to cause cancer, according to the study. The most debatable colorant is erythrosine, sometimes referred to as Red 3. When administered erythrosine, male rats were more likely to develop thyroid tumors. According to the study, tartrazine, widely known as yellow 5, causes asthma and hives.
Although synthetic food colours may be useful for decorating food items, beverages, pharmaceuticals and other purposes, they do cause some problems in the human body.
This research investigates the role that food colour plays in conferring identity and liking to those foods and beverages that assume many flavour varieties.
The study concludes that numerous side effects and toxicity, both medium and long-term, allergic reactions, behavioural and neurocognitive effects are linked to their use.
The implementation of regulations and awareness programmes on food colours for consumers and food manufacturers are highly recommended.
More research needs to be done based on the increasing consumption of food dyes.
To minimise the risk of developing health problems due to food additives and preservatives, one should avoid the foods containing these additives and preservatives.
The food additives must be added in regulated quantities and concentration and should be within acceptable daily.
