A Review on Food Coloring Agents-Safe or Unsafe?

Food coloring agents are added to foods to make customer perception. They act as emulsifying agents,
stabilizers, sweeteners, antioxidants, preservatives and so on. They also increase attractiveness to different types
of products. Coloring of the food product not only gives pleasant, attractive color but also flavor, natural value of
the product. Food coloring is a solution of dye molecules. Natural food coloring agents are carotenoids,
chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and turmeric. Few dyes may have carcinogenic effects so suitable detection methods
are to be done to check the harmfulness of the dye. Appropriateness of a dye is checked through several
analytical and advanced methods. The aim of this article is to bring to a notice whether food coloring agents are
harmful to human use. Not all types of coloring agents are harmful to use in foods, drugs and cosmetics.
Artificial food colors are used mainly in foods and beverages. Food and Drug Association (FDA) approval is
required for the use of artificial food colors. Few artificial colorants used in foods, cosmetics, beverages are
sunset yellow, quinoline yellow, carmoisine, allura red and tartrazine. These coloring agents bind to Human
Serum Albumin (HAS) and causes risk to human health. Artificial food coloring agents cause attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. We conclude that natural coloring agents don’t show any side effects
when compared to artificial dyes.