Decolorization is the industrial removal of pigments from foods and ingredients to achieve a pale, neutral base, applied to vegetable oils, sugar syrups, lactose and gelatins. Activated carbon, bleaching clays and ion-exchange resins adsorb colour bodies without, ideally, stripping desirable flavour. The process must be validated to leave no residues of the decolorizing agent itself. Over-treatment is a real risk, since aggressive decolorization can remove antioxidants and subtle flavours along with the pigments. Operators balance dosage and contact time against specifications for colour, taste and refining loss.