Colorants

Colorants are substances that impart colour, such as dyes or pigments, added to foods to improve visual appearance, replace colour lost during processing, and ensure colour consistency. They are broadly classified into natural colorants and artificial colorants, depending on whether they are substances found in nature or synthesized. Each permitted colorant carries specifications for purity and maximum use levels, and labels must declare them. Colour is among the first quality cues consumers judge, so stable, attractive coloration is commercially essential.