Journey of Taste: Food colors add ‘color’ to food, give a feeling of freshness, are they beneficial for the body?

Taste of Travel: Food colors are being widely promoted in the world these days and their use is also increasing continuously. In fact, the natural color of any dish can be enhanced by using food colour, as well as the food can be made decorative and beautiful. The special thing is that the colors found in the food stimulate the appetite and also give a feeling of freshness in the diet. But the big question is whether this food color is not harmful for the body. Does their use not invite any disease? Now food and beverages look ‘faded’ without food colour.

Natural and synthetic colors are in custom

Colors in food or food items have been used for thousands of years. Years ago, man had come to know the importance of colors, so apart from food, he has been using colors for coloring the body and clothes, in special festivals, etc. since years. There are some colors which not only change the color of the food, but also change its taste. In fact, in ancient times man used to take color from nature and no one used to mix it. For this reason they did not cause any harm, later they started making synthetic colors, which were very shiny and gaudy, these colors were also being used in food. Since it was not natural, questions arose as to whether this color was harmful to the human body. This debate is going on even today and there are buts and buts about it.

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Where are these colors obtained from?

First of all know what is natural and synthetic color and how they can be obtained. Natural colors are those which can be obtained from plants, fruits, vegetables etc. In the ancient books of India and abroad, it is mentioned that which color a man used to get from which element. Examples come from seeds, fruits, vegetables, algae and insects. If we go into more detail, yellow, orange etc can be obtained from carotenoids found in apricots, carrots and tomatoes.

Red, blue and purple colors are obtained from anthocyanins found in saffron, berries, beetroot, raspberry and red cabbage etc. Whereas green color can be found from all types of leaves, greens and twigs, which is called chlorophyll. The special thing is that the most brilliant yellow color is being obtained from turmeric over the years. Many types of colors can be found by mixing more colors in turmeric. Red sandalwood has also been a natural source of color in the olden times.

Used in food and other substances for thousands of years

Information about food colors is found in the ancient civilizations of India and the world. In the Upanishads, there has been a custom of mixing various natural colors in the Prasad offered to God. In the Ayurvedic book ‘Charak Samhita’, written about 3000 years ago, information has been given about adding natural colors to various medicines to enhance their taste and make them look sweeter. It has also been told in this book that natural colors were used to color different types of wines. Food historians also report that plant dyes were used in Egypt as natural dyes for wine, food, clothing, and even skin.

The special thing is that the use of synthetic colors in food etc. started in the 19th century. For the first time in the year 1856, British chemist William Henry Perkin made the first blue synthetic colour. After that more colors were made by different methods. Since it was made in the laboratory, the question arose from the very beginning whether this color was good for dyeing, would it also be good for ‘coloring’ food. By the way, later such colors were also invented, which were claimed that they are not harmful for the body. They are being used in butter, ice cream, beverages, liquor, sweets, candies, medicine etc.

There are many organizations to check the quality of colors

Now the question is whether food colors are useful for the body and consuming them is not causing any harm to the body. Various countries have set up such departments on this issue, which constantly investigate whether the colors being added to food and other substances are not harming the body. In India too, there is the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organization which checks whether the food colors being added to food items etc. are of quality and are being used in proper proportion.

Natural colors are costlier than synthetic colors. Image-Canva

A report states that the consumption of food colors has increased by 500 percent in the last 50 years. But no concrete evidence has been found that how harmful these colors are for the body. By the way, companies write on the level of their product that their substance can also cause allergies and it can be sensitive to children.

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Colors only give a feeling of attractiveness and freshness

Food expert and dietician Anita Lamba says that actually no food color provides nutrition to our body. That color is just a medium to attract towards food, diet or drinks. These colors also give a feeling of freshness in the food. That’s why people do not refrain from eating and drinking them. The branded food and beverage companies use harmless colors in their products, so they do not harm the body. Anyway, they cannot be avoided. But do read their level while using, because there will definitely be information whether the color used in it is harmful for the body or not. If you are making any such dish at home, which needs colour, then keep in mind that it should be of natural colour. These colors are more expensive than synthetic colors, but to save the body from problems, use only natural colors.

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Tags: food, Lifestyle