Color is at the core of nature. A flash of yellow from an orange sulfur butterfly or the shimmery blue from hedge bindweed are all powerful means of communication from organism to organism, creating beautiful landscapes in which life thrives.
Contrasting with synthetic colors (such as FD&C Red #40 or Yellow #5 or Blue #1), which are made up of non-edible raw materials, natural colors come from edible raw materials derived through physical or chemical extraction from sources like vegetables, fruits or spices.
Color Additives
Natural colors come from an assortment of vegetable and mineral sources, from pigment mixtures to being extracted and purified chemically or physically. Natural colors tend to be less heat, light and pH unstable than their synthetic counterparts, plus are usually certified kosher or halal and free from glycerol, hydrogen peroxide or caramelized material – two factors synthetic dyes often lack.
Synthetic color additives like FD&C Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1 have been thoroughly evaluated by FDA to be heat-, light-, and pH-stable and are therefore considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Switching from synthetic colors with strict regulations to natural ingredients with little oversight or safety testing is an emerging issue for the industry. Finding reliable suppliers with expertise in natural hues is critical, ensuring consistent and predictable performance of your products.
Natural Dyes
Dyeing fabric and yarn with natural ingredients is an enjoyable, creative, and therapeutic activity that offers many opportunities. Plus, there’s a vast selection of plant-based dyestuff available online!
Natural dyestuff is usually obtained from plants such as roots, berries, bark, leaves and flowers, with mordants acting as additional preparation steps in order to hold onto the pigments and hold onto their color longer. Unfortunately, such natural dyes tend to fade or wash out over time.
Establishing a natural dye recipe involves several steps, but once familiar with the method it can become much simpler. Berkowitz suggests keeping a dye journal to track results – particularly helpful for beginners! Additionally, she offers two easy strategies for adding patterns: gathering fabric edges into pleats or folds for an marbled effect; or placing evenly spaced wooden clothespins along folds to form geometric grid patterns.
Natural Pigments
Natural pigments come from various plant and mineral sources. Synthetic dyes on the other hand, are mostly manufactured using non-edible materials and must adhere to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for food-grade application.
These natural pigments boast stunning, vivid hues and can also provide important antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.
Plant and mineral materials can be ground or sifted into powders to form natural pigments, creating earth pigments (also referred to as natural earth colors) and botanical browns from minerals, plants, and vegetable juices.
These earth-based pigments are extremely stable against heat, light and pH fluctuations; making them great options as more natural alternatives to FD&C Red #40, Yellow #5 and Blue #1 which require special labelling in Europe. Earthy or organic tones such as reds and oranges may benefit greatly from using earth-based hues like these pigments.
Natural Anthocyanins
Natural anthocyanins are water soluble plant pigments responsible for giving many edible plants their distinct red, blue and purple hues. Anthocyanins belong to a family of molecules known as flavonoids synthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway and found throughout a plant including leaves, stems, roots flowers fruit seeds & stems with high antioxidant activity bringing health-promoting benefits for consumers.
Anthocyanin colors are determined by the structure and chemistry of their B-ring structure, with pH gradients leading to their shifting from red in acidic conditions to blue when under basic pressure, while their structure also makes them vulnerable to oxygen and metal ion oxidation [1].
Colorant extraction processes can have an adverse effect on anthocyanin stability and bioavailability, negatively influencing their performance as natural food coloring agents. Nanoformulations and chemical modifications such as acylation have proven helpful for improving stability and performance.
