Artificial colorants are food colours manufactured synthetically rather than extracted from natural sources such as plants, insects, or minerals. They give processed foods the bright, stable hues that natural pigments often cannot survive through heating, light exposure, and long storage, and they offer batch-to-batch consistency at low cost. Because some synthetic colours have been linked to hypersensitivity reactions and, in a few cases, debated behavioural effects in children, regulators require pre-market safety assessment, set maximum use levels for specific food categories, and mandate clear labelling on ingredient lists. Manufacturers choosing between synthetic and natural colours weigh stability, cost, consumer preference, and clean-label positioning.