Natural food pigments application in food products

Natural pigments, food compounds, are responsible for the colour of the products. These additives can impart, to deepen or renew the colour of the product, if it has been lost while processing. They also improve the taste of the product and facilitate its identification. It is hard to imagine today’s food industry without the use of pigments. Presently, more and more conscious con­sumers are demanding products to be coloured with natural pigments or any pigment added to the final product. Artificial pigments are considered to be harmful and undesirable so food manufacturers focus on the use of natural colour substances. 16 natural pigments are presently permitted to be used. These compounds are: betalains – betanin, quinones – cochineal, flavonoids – anthocyan­ins, isoprenoids – carotene, annatto (bixin, norbixin), paprika extract, lutein, canthaxanthin, porphyrins – chlorophylls and chlorophyllins and copper complexes of these compounds, and others: caramels, curcumin, or plant coal.