Natural dyes in food coloration

摘要

Colour plays an impeccable role in life. The materials which cause colour are present everywhere particularly in the plant as well as in the animal kingdom. The chemistry of colours has never failed to fascinate and intrigue. Materialistic growth of science has made it possible to obtain many colorants in the laboratory with the intervention of human ingenuity. However, the colorants obtained from biological sources - the biocolorants - have also remained a central theme of investigation for several reasons. In the area of food coloration they have been very popular as they are associated with a sense of safety. In the recent years, the availability and use of natural colorants has gready increased as a consequence of perceived consumer preference for the reasons of health and quality. Moreover, artificial colorants tend to impart undesirable taste and are harmful to human beings. They have allergenic and intolerance reactions. Therefore biocolorants have become very attractive in recent years. The biocolorants include carotenoids, flavonoids, chlorophylls, anthracenes, betacyanins (betalains), curcuminoids, indigoids, and a few others.