Carotenoid pigments as food colorants

Many colorants are natural and these include the yellow, from the annatto seed; green form chlorophyll; orange from carotene; brown form burnt sugar; and red from beets tomatoes and the cochineal insect. 

The carotenoids, particularly their nature-identical synthetic counter parts, beta-app-8’-carotenal,beta-carotene and canthaxanthin, are popular food colorants.

Carotenoids are classified as oil soluble but most foods require water soluble colorants; thus their approaches were used to provide water dispersible preparations. Carotenoids colorants are appropriate for a wide variety of foods.

The carotenoids add yellow, red and orange pigmentation to foods. Beta-carotene and beta-apo-8’-carotenal have vitamin activity but canthaxanthin does not.

Federal regulations permit addition of beta-carotene to foods at any concentration but specify maximum limits fro beta-app-8’ carotenal (1.5 mg/lb or pinto food).

Beta-carotene is used to colour margarine, shortening, butter, cheese, baked goods, confections, ice cream, egg nog, macaroni products, soups, juices, pudding and beverages. Beta-carotene has good tinctorial strength fair light stability, poor oxidation stability and good pH stability.

Beta-apo-8’-carotenal may be used to colour juices, fruit drink, soups, jams, jellies, gelatine, processed cheese, margarine, sale dressing and fats and oils.
Carotenoid pigments as food colorants