FOOD COLOR IN THE UNITED STATES

Food color that is used in the United States is either "Artificial" or so called “Natural”. Artificial food color represents the vast majority of food color used.

Each batch of artificial color that is produced as food color or for drug or cosmetic use in the United States must be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for “Certification” to insure that it meets the governments predefined standards. Hence the term “Certified Color”.

Certified FD&C Colors can generally be used in Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics.
Certified D&C Colors can be used in Drugs and Cosmetics, but not in foods.

COLORS FOR USE IN FOOD

Most food and confectionery products available today are made using artificial food color. There are only seven Certified Dyes that can be used in the United States in food products:

FD&C Red 3 Pink shade	EU # E127
FD&C Red 40 Red shade	EU # E129
FD&C Yellow 5 Yellow shade	EU # E102
FD&C Yellow 6 Orange shade	EU # E110
FD&C Blue 1 Blue shade	EU # E133
FD&C Blue 2 Dark Blue shade	EU # E132
FD&C Green 3 Bluish Green shade	EU # E143

Dyes and Aluminum Lakes in Powder Form

The base for all artificial food colors are DYES and ALUMINUM LAKES. These are produced in a light, dusty powdery format. The differences between Dyes and Lakes are as follows:

* A DYE is a distinct chemical that exhibits coloring power when it is dissolved. Dyes are water soluble, and will not mix with oils. Dyes can be purchased in a Powder format or a less dusty version called "Granular".

* An ALUMINUM LAKE PIGMENT is an insoluble material that tints by dispersion. Lakes are produced from the FD&C Dyes and are oil dispersible (but generally not oil soluble) and thus can be mixed with oils and fats. They can also be dispersed or suspended in other carriers such as propylene glycol, glycerin and sucrose (water and sugar).

* Lakes are produced in specific concentrations of dye. Thus, Red 40 Aluminum Lake is available in Low Dye (generally 15-17% pure dye) and High Dye (36-42% pure dye).

Lakes are preferred in a variety of applications, such as:

1) To color a fat based product, such as chocolate or compound coatings. For these, we produce a concentrated dispersion in a high quality and very stable vegetable oil. The dispersion is added directly to the chocolate to dye it accordingly.

2) For “hard panning” (to dye the outside of a product such as a gum ball, an M&M™ type product, or a pill). In this case, we produce a dispersion usually using sucrose (sugar and water) that is applied to the candy or food as it is being tumbled and dried. Multiple layers are applied to produce the desired shade.

3) Lakes tend to resist bleeding. Dyes have a tendency to “bleed”, or migrate from one part of the product to another. This can be a problem in candy canes or any product where there are defined borders such as stripes. While Dyes are normally used in hard candy, Lakes are sometimes substituted if bleeding is a problem.

"NATURAL" & "CERTIFIED ORGANIC" COLORS

So called “Natural” colors must be approved by the FDA for use in edibles, cosmetics and drugs, but are not subject to batch certification. Examples of "Natural" colors are beet , paprika , annatto, turmeric, titanium dioxide, caramel and cabbage to name but a few. It is important to note that there is no FDA definition of "Natural" with reference to food or ingredients!

The USDA’s National Organic Program certifies products as organic based on farming, handling, manufacturing, distribution and labeling practices. Certified Organic Colors are a select group of Natural Colors that contain ingredients that are in compliance with the USDA National Organic Program and which have been certified by an independent organic certification agency.

So why aren’t Natural colors used more?

Compared to artificial color, they are generally more expensive, the hues are less vibrant, the palate of available shades is limited, and they are not as concentrated. Stability can be effected by other ingredients and variations in pH. They generally have a short shelf life before fading occurs as compared to their artificial counterparts.

SPECIAL EFFECT COLORANTS FOR USE IN FOOD

Approved in 2007 by the FDA for use in food products, these titanium dioxide and mica based powders and concentrates create effects in food products from a subtle glow to a shiny sparkle.

These unique and exciting colorants provide unique opportunities for food companies to create exciting new looks.

COLORS FOR COSMETICS AND PHARMACEUTICALS

The color pallet for cosmetic products is broader than that available for food color. There are a wide variety of “D&C” Dyes and Pigments that can be used in cosmetics and drugs, but are not suitable for consumption. In addition, there are a wide array of pigments such as Iron Oxides and Ultramarines that do not require certification that can also be used in cosmetic products.

The dispersing mediums available for use in Cosmetics are much more varied than those available for edible products. Ingredients such as castor oil, mineral oil, and silicone can be used in cosmetics, but not foods.

Pharmaceutical applications have a different range of Certified Dyes available.

COLOR FORMATS

Coloring for food, cosmetics, and drugs can be purchased in the following formats in the United States:
  • Powder Color
  • Granular Color (reduced dusting version of Powder dye)
  • Liquids (generally water soluble)
  • Dispersions (generally not water soluble)
  • Pastes
  • Color Bits™ and Color Flakes™
  • Portion Control

By blending Dyes and Pigments together in a variety of ratios and formats, International Foodcraft can produce a wide range of products that are marketed as the COLOREZE™ Family of Color Concentrates.

Powder and Powder Blends

Color in its Powder format is the least expensive way to purchase it. A little goes a very long way.

So why does anyone use anything but powder?

There are two basic reasons:

1) Many products (such as hard candy and taffy) require that the powdered color be pre-dispersed in an appropriate carrying medium before introduction into the candy. Trying to add powder dye to a batch of hot candy will result in specs of powder in the finished product.

2) Because powder is very messy to deal with! It is very dusty and gets everywhere. (You can tell what colors we made each day by the color of our factory worker's skin at the end of the shift). Also, it is very easy to make a mistake with powder because it is so concentrated.

Liquid Colors

Companies that want to add color easily will often buy their color pre-dispersed in a liquid such as water, glycerin, propylene glycol, or a combination of the above. Liquids are less messy and easier to measure than powders.

Pigment Dispersions

Dispersions are made with insoluble Pigments (such as Aluminum Lakes or titanium dioxide) dispersed into a variety of FDA approved carriers such as sucrose, glycerin, castor oil, etc.
As mentioned above, dispersions are used in fat based products, for panning, and to resist bleeding.

Paste Colors

Pastes are used in specific applications, such as taffy and hard candy where using a viscous color concentrate has advantages. Pastes are made with Dyes and/or Pigments that are often blended with glycerin, propylene glycol, and dextrose Sometimes gums are added. Pastes can be difficult to measure.

Color Bits™ and Color Flakes™

Color Bits™ and Color Flakes™ are particles of food color concentrate that are made by thoroughly dispersing Dyes and/or Pigments into a unique blend of FDA approved ingredients. They are popular with hard candy and taffy manufacturers. Similar to Pastes in concept, they are easy to measure and disperse into the hot candy quickly. They are highly concentrated, so you can use less.

Note: We get frequent requests for samples of the COLOR BITS™ and COLOR FLAKES™ for use in non-food applications, but usually they are only practical to use in confectionery products.

Portion Control Color

The purpose of portion control packaging is to minimize the chance of error in measuring and dispensing color. Of course, the customer pays a premium for this added convenience, and there are often minimums that must be met to justify custom runs.

COLOR WAFERS™ represent the newest offering in the portion control arena. COLOR WAFERS™ are individual, pre-measured, pancake shaped slabs of color concentrate. They are packed into individual wax paper pouches or pre-formed disposable cups. When released from the pouch or cup, each COLOR WAFER™ is designed to color a full batch of product quickly and easily, without the operator ever having to touch the dye. No weighing or measuring is required.

COLOR WAFERS™ are custom manufactured so that each Wafer has exactly the amount of dye necessary to color your batch of product.

SUMMARY

At International Foodcraft, we are expert at producing colorants for food and cosmetic applications in all of the above mentioned formats (including Certified Organic).

Each format has its own pros and cons depending on the application. Let our color experts work with you to determine which format of color is best for your operation and budgetary needs.

Free samples are available upon request. We would be happy to match your existing shades, or make new formulations to your specifications!

If you want us to match an existing shade, please provide us with an exact formulation or a sample of the existing color product you are currently using (accompanied by the ingredient list or spec sheet).

Please call us Toll Free at (800) 875-9393 so that we can put our 60+ years of experience to work on your behalf!