Food coloring is used as a form of dye or pigment that is incorporated into food and drinks to change their color. Commonly utilized in baking, candy making, and even in some savory dishes, it is used to make the dishes more pleasing to the eye or to turn your cake into the color of a theme. Also, food colours for feed is normally applied to enhance the appearance or quality of feed or to differentiate between various kinds of feed in the animal feed industry.
Types of Food Coloring
1. Artificial Colorants
Characteristics:
Artificial colorants are produced
in industry by chemical ways; therefore, they are more attractive and stable.
Uniform coloring in batches,
between products.
Examples:
Red 40: Allura Red AC-it is a very
bright red dye that is widely used in many various types of food and feed.
Yellow 5: Tartrazine synthetic
yellow colorant that finds wide application in food because it can give a wide
range of shades of yellow in beverages, snacks, and feeds.
Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue): a blue
coloring agent that acts as a gouge to impose on something a bright, blue
color.
Pros:
Color Strength: Much brighter and
more consistent than their natural counterparts
Cost-effective: Usually cheaper in
production and utilization than the natural colorants
Stability: Have better stability
against light, temperature, etc considering the natural colorants
Cons:
Some dyes have been said to be of
health concern; hence they are under strict study and regulation.
There is the possibility of
environmental hazards in the manufacturing and waste management of synthetic
colorants.
2. Natural Colorants
Characteristics:
The source of natural colorants is
fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other natural plant or animal materials.
Examples:
Beet Juice: This provides a red or
pink color.
Annatto: This is extracted from
achiote seeds, which give an orange or yellow color.
Spirulina: A blue-green algae
product that imparts green or blue color.
Advantages:
Generally liked in organic and
natural products because they are derived from natural sources.
Generally, undergo less chemical
processing compared to synthetic dyes.
Sometimes non-polluting in nature,
which is highly important and dependent upon their origin and manner of
production.
Disadvantages:
Color Consistency may vary in shade
and strength, and can be less stable when compared to synthetic colorants.
Costly generally because sourcing
and processing natural materials are costly.
Maybe shorter or need special
conditions of storage to maintain efficiency.
Safety and Regulations
Regulatory Bodies: These food
colorants in animal feed are regulated by the FDA, with guideline regulations
through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety
Authority.
Only approved colorants for animal
feed should be used, and their type and amount should be within the limits set.
Ensure that the appropriate
approval is verified and the certification is in line with the manufacturer's
instructions and regulatory requirements.
Safety Issues:
That the colorants used shall not
be harmful to the health of animals and should not be detrimental to the
animal's wellbeing.
The colorant should not be harmful
and as such must have undergone satisfactory non-toxicity tests in animal feed.
The change of color in animal
excreta or urine can also denote health conditions, whereby early detection may
be possible. Application of Food Coloring Mixing Process: Typically, food
coloring is added during feed processing to attain its uniform distribution.
Procedure: Utilize appropriate mixing techniques to achieve the same color tone
across the feed inventory. Issues to Consider:
The colorant should be adequately
incorporated such that the nutritional value and palatability of the feed are
not affected.
The use shall conform with the
manufacturer's recommendations to avoid over- and under-dosing that may lower
feed quality and animal health.
Generally speaking, when one has to
use food coloring in a recipe, that would include food colours for feed,
it is generally better to use a little and then add until one reaches the color
desired. Another thing to consider with colors is that some colors will look
different before and after baking, cooking, or processing, so keep that in mind
as you adjust.
