Food Additives and Human Health

Seyed Mohammad Nabavi, Monica Rosa Loizzo, Rosa Tundis

• Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9789811446139
• Topic: Medicina
• Subtopic: Nutrizione, dietetica e bariatria

This reference is a detailed guide to the world of food additives commonly used in the food processing and manufacturing industry. Edited by experts in the field, invited scholars enrich the book with relevant chapter contributions. Chapters provide readers with knowledge on a broad range of food additives (anti-browning agents, essential oils, flavour enhancers, preservatives, stabilizers, sweeteners, among others), their safe use and a summary of their effects on human health. Key Features:- Covers a wide range of natural and synthetic food additives- Covers health related topics relevant to food additives- Chapters are organized into specific, easy-to-read topics- Provides bibliographic references for further reading This book serves as a valuable instrument for a broad spectrum of readers: researchers, health professionals, students, food science enthusiasts, and working professionals in industry and government regulatory agencies interested in the science of food additives.

Colouring Agents

Natália Martins, Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira^*

Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-253Bragança, Portugal

Abstract

The world of food colorants has experienced a very exciting development in the last few years. The demand for increasingly organoleptic appealing, a safer, secure and healthy foodstuff is evident for consumers. Among them, the health-promoting ability of food products containing colouring agents is considered the most important. Linked with this, natural food colorants have been proposed as the most promising and safe alternatives. Numerous side effects and related toxicity have been increasingly associated with the consumption of synthetic colorants, some being already forbidden, while for others, the adequate daily intake (ADI) was re-adjusted. Thus, the aim of the present chapter is to provide an overview on the field of food colouring agents, namely highlighting the currently available natural and synthetic sources of colouring agents, the main representative groups and corresponding physicochemical properties, legislation and regulatory practices, and finally the latest pharmacokinetic data.

Phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins, carotenoids, and betalains, comprise the most commonly used food colouring agents from natural origin. At the same time, increasingly strict regulatory practices have been applied for the quality assurance of those from natural and synthetic origins. Naturally-derived food colorants seem to have higher quality and efficiency than those from synthetic sources, apart from playing a significant role as health promoters. Concerning synthetic food colorants, due to the increase in the reported side effects and toxicity, they have been progressively substituted by those obtained from natural origin. Allergic reactions, behavioral and neurocognitive effects are among the most frequent side effects, both at medium and long-terms.

Overall, a marked change in attitude and priorities has been observed in consumers, not only related to food and nutrition science, but also pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries. It drives manufacturers to find new, natural and healthy sources of colors and flavors and other organoleptic attributes for the currently marketed food products.

Keywords: Colorant additives, Health-related impact, Natural pigments, Organoleptic features, Synthetic pigments.

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^* Corresponding author Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-253Bragança, Portugal; E-mail: [email protected]

Introductory section

Color food additives are amongst the most interesting case-studies at the biotechnological and scientific levels [1, 2]. There are no doubts that color has an impressive and direct contribution in the delightful attributes of foodstuff, and therefore exerts a large influence on consumers’ perceptions, opinions, and consequent modulation of their food preferences, selection and eating desires [3^-5].

In a broad sense, food colorants are commonly defined as “any dye, pigment or substance which when added or applied to a food, drug or cosmetic, or to the human body, is capable (alone or through reactions with other substances) of imparting color” [6]. But, apart from their colouring attributes, food dyes can also be effectively used to contribute to flavoring assurance, safety, quality and maintenance of organoleptic characteristics of numerous food products, as well as to ensure consumer satisfaction. The high delivery of products with multiple formats, colors, tastes, smells and textures available in markets and supermarkets is surprising [1, 2, 7]. Biotechnological industries have largely contributed to current advances observed in the area of food science and technology, but it is also important to emphasize that most of them derive from consumer desires and specific needs [1, 4, 5]. These improvements, apart from increasing appealing and sensorial attractiveness (such as visual perception, color and smell) of numerous foodstuff, confer important benefits on its shelf life, microbiological quality and security and also added-value to food products [1, 8].

Despite that natural foodstuff having their organoleptic characteristics, color intensity and physicochemical attributes, storage and processing conditions/ practices exert a pronounced influence on their final coloration, leading to some unpleasant features that modern consumers do not appreciate. Thus, colouring agents appeared as an effective strategy to overcome these problems/constraints. Being increasingly appreciated and selected for multiple purposes, food colorants have also been targeted by highly strict regulatory legislation, and at the same time, a progressive replacement of synthetic dyes from natural sources has been observed. All these improvements firstly aimed to ensure consumer safety and security are moved by the increasing scientific knowledge about all these food ingredients, and by the good manufacturing practices followed by food indu...