Reduced monascus pigment derivatives as yellow food colorants

摘要

The yellow pigments which result from reaction of the Monascus pigments monascorubrin and rubropunctatin with amines followed by reduction of the ring carbonyl moiety to an hydroxyl group have excellent properties for their use as food colorants. Yellow pigments made from amino acid esters, dipeptide esters, and amines of sugar alcohols have particular promise as desirable food colorants which are effective at levels which impart no objectionable taste to foods.