Natural colorants saffron

Detailed information about carotenoids found in food or extracted from food and evaluated for their potential as food colorants appeared in Sections 4.2 and 6.2. We would like to mention some new data about the utilization of pure carotenoid molecules or extracts as allowed food additives. Looking to the list of E-coded natural colorants (Table 7.2.1), we can identify standardized colorants E160a through f, E 161a, and E161b as natural or semi-synthetic derivatives of carotenoids provided from carrots, annatto, tomatoes, paprika, and marigold. In addition, the extracts (powders or oleoresins) of saffron, - paprika, and marigold are considered more economical variants in the United States and European Union. 

Textiles may be colored with natural colorants such as saffron or curcumin. Saffron pigments can be extracted from cotton and wool fibers using a pyridine-water mixture (25/75 v v). This method is, however, not able to extract curcumin from the same fibers (Tsatsaroni et al, 1998). 

In addition to the U.S. certified coal-tar colorants, some noncertified naturally occurring plant and animal colorants, such as alkanet, annatto [1393-63-17, carotene [36-884] C qH, chlorophyll [1406-65-17, cochineal [1260-17-9] saffron [138-55-6] and henna [83-72-7], can be used in cosmetics. In the United States, however, natural food colors, such as beet extract or powder, turmeric, and saffron, are not allowed as cosmetic colorants. 

Ground turmeric rhizome is one of the main ingredients in curry powder. Its bright yellow color makes it a natural substitute for the much more expensive herb saffron. 

Saffron extract widely used at typical levels of 0.1 to 0.2% (weight for weight) to impart characteristic flavor and heat-stable yellow color does not have E number in EU falls into natural extract category... 

The use of natural pigments for food applications is gaining soil from day to day [95]. Curcumin, betaine, amarathine, anthocyanins and P-carotene are the most common and widely used pigments [95,96], Saffron s coloring properties attributed mainly to water-soluble carotenoids are used for coloring of foods. The stability of these saffron pigments in aqueous... 

Dyes are regulated in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Over the years FDA has removed a number of dyes formerly approved for use in food and cosmetics because of concerns about toxicity, cancer-causing potential, or because they are skin irritants. Naturally occurring pigments, too numerous to count (saffron, turmeric, fruit colors, for example), are exempt from the approval process. 

The liposoluble nature of these compounds determines, a priori, the type of food in which they can be incorporated to dissolve efficientiy. 3-Carotene is added to fatty foods, such as butter, cheeses, and oils, although other pigments such as bixin and apocarotenals are also employed. Paprika and oleoresins industrially obtained from red pepper are used directly or as ingredient in the manufacture of sauces and meat products. Saffron, which contains crocin as a major pigment (a diester of crocetin with the disaccharide gentiobiose), is used as a hydrosoluble condiment for soups and to color foods and drinks. Other hydrosoluble preparations of 3-carotene and other pigments such as canthaxanthin and apocarotenoids are used to color drinks. Norbixin, a product derived from the saponification of bixin, is hydrosoluble, and used to color ice cream, cereals, and cheese. 

---