Food coloring GETTING TO GRIPS WITH FOOD COLORING SYNTHETIC NATURAL COLORANTS COLORANTS A “natural” coloring solution: Colorants processed made using plant, mineral or animal- DEFINITION in a way that has changed their based ingredients. ingredients’ chemical nature Made using a process that retains the original ingredient’s natural qualities Made by selectively extracting pigments from plant, animal or An ingredient which isn’t mineral ingredients. INGREDIENT necessarily natural. Subject to European colorant regulations (the quantities used must be in line with legal limits). FLAVOR COLOR INTENSITY ADDITIVE OR INGREDIENT? REGULATED QUANTITIES Synthetic colorant’s most widely known controversies Azo colorants can cause hyperactivity in children. Titanium dioxide (E171) is suspected to be carcinogenic and has been banned in France since January 2020. 196