Elintarvikevärien

Elintarvikevärit, or food colorings, are substances added to food and beverages to enhance or restore their appearance. They are used to make food more visually appealing, to counteract color loss due to processing and storage, or to provide color to otherwise colorless foods like pasta or gelatin. These colorants can be derived from natural sources, such as plants, animals, or minerals, or they can be synthesized chemically.

Natural food colorings include pigments like carotenes (found in carrots and tomatoes), anthocyanins (from berries and red cabbage), chlorophyll (from leaves), and curcumin (from turmeric). These are often perceived as healthier alternatives by some consumers. Synthetic food colorings, on the other hand, are manufactured chemicals that offer a wider range of vibrant and stable colors. Examples include tartrazine (Yellow 5), sunset yellow (Yellow 6), and allura red (Red 40).

The use of food colorings is regulated by governmental bodies in most countries to ensure their safety for consumption. These regulations often specify which colorings are permitted, their maximum allowable levels in different food categories, and labeling requirements. In the European Union, for instance, permitted food colorings are assigned E numbers, such as E100 for curcumin or E160a for alpha- and beta-carotene. Consumers can identify the presence of added colorings by checking the ingredient list on food packaging.