Establishing Standards on Colors from Natural Sources

Color additives are applied to many food, drug, and cosmetic products. With up to 85% of consumer buying decisions potentially influenced by color, appropriate application of color additives and their safety is critical. Color additives are defined by the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) as any dye, pigment, or substance that can impart color to a food, drug, or cosmetic or to the human body. Under current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, colors fall into 2 categories as those subject to an FDA certification process and those that are exempt from certification often referred to as “natural” colors by consumers because they are sourced from plants, minerals, and animals. Certified colors have been used for decades in food and beverage products, but consumer interest in natural colors is leading market applications. However, the popularity of natural colors has also opened a door for both unintentional and intentional economic adulteration. Whereas FDA certifications for synthetic dyes and lakes involve strict quality control, natural colors are not evaluated by the FDA and often lack clear definitions and industry accepted quality and safety specifications. A significant risk of adulteration of natural colors exists, ranging from simple misbranding or misuse of the term “natural” on a product label to potentially serious cases of physical, chemical, and/or microbial contamination from raw material sources, improper processing methods, or intentional postproduction adulteration. Consistent industry‐wide safety standards are needed to address the manufacturing, processing, application, and international trade of colors from natural sources to ensure quality and safety throughout the supply chain.     

Palette of Our Palates: A Brief History of Food Coloring and Its Regulation

ABSTRACT: Food color additives are vital to how we taste and perceive food, yet they generally remain mysterious to the public. This article examines food color additives from historical and regulatory perspectives. First, it uses recent examples to illustrate the importance of colors to our enjoyment of food. It then recounts the early history of food colors and the emergence of regulation to prevent their unsafe and fraudulent uses. The margarine war of the late 19th and early 20th centuries is described, as well as the 1906 and 1938 Food and Drug Acts. The article then enters the modern era of color additive regulation, beginning with the Color Additive Amendments of 1960. The debate over the Delaney anti‐cancer clause is assessed, as well as other recent safety and regulatory controversies. The article asserts that this string of incidents has gained public notoriety for color additives. The article concludes by discussing the future of food coloring and the move towards more natural dyes.     

食品中色素检测的研究进展

文章详细介绍了食用色素和违禁染料的定义、分类、特点,以及国内外对于色素类检测技术的研究现状,提出了未来色素类检测技术的重点、难点和发展趋势。     

Test systems and a method for express detection of synthetic food dyes in drinks

In this study, new test systems and express method were developed for the rapid detection of synthetic food dyes in drinks including alcoholic drinks, fruit juices, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic drinks. The detection is based on selective adsorption of synthetic food dyes from a drink by the specific adsorbent contained in the developed test system. The method allows screening of samples for synthetic food dyes in the presence of natural colors by differential spectrophotometry following adsorption. The said adsorbent provides adsorption of synthetic food dyes and substantially does not interact with natural dyes of drinks. Therefore, when a drink contains synthetic dyes, the color of the sample changes, whereas the color of a drink having only natural dyes stays substantially the same. This test can be used as a first step analysis for screening. So, only in a case when the test showed the presence of synthetic dyes in a drink, further laborious identification and quantitative determination of the revealed dyes could be performed. The use of such an approach reduces the time and costs required to perform the analysis.     

美国食品添加剂的安全监管及其启示

食品添加剂在食品行业中占有重要地位,它的使用直接关系着食品的性能与安全,因而食品添加剂安全监管体制在整个社会法制体系中占有重要的地位。美国联邦食品、药品和化妆品法规定,只有经过美国食品药品监督管理局评价和公布的食品添加剂才能生产和在食品中使用。本文综述了美国食品添加剂的法律法规及监管体系。美国十分重视对食品添加剂的法律法规体系建设,并形成了严格、规范、有效的监管,其中有些经验对我国完善食品添加剂管理法规和监管体系具有重要的借鉴意义。     

Method development and survey of Sudan I–IV in palm oil and chilli spices in the Washington,DC, area

Sudan I, II, III and IV dyes are banned for use as food colorants in the United States and European Union because they are toxic and carcinogenic. These dyes have been illegally used as food additives in products such as chilli spices and palm oil to enhance their red colour. From 2003 to 2005, the European Union made a series of decisions requiring chilli spices and palm oil imported to the European Union to contain analytical reports declaring them free of Sudan I–IV. In order for the USFDA to investigate the adulteration of palm oil and chilli spices with unapproved colour additives in the United States, a method was developed for the extraction and analysis of Sudan dyes in palm oil, and previous methods were validated for Sudan dyes in chilli spices. Both LC-DAD and LC-MS/MS methods were examined for their limitations and effectiveness in identifying adulterated samples. Method validation was performed for both chilli spices and palm oil by spiking samples known to be free of Sudan dyes at concentrations close to the limit of detection. Reproducibility, matrix effects, and selectivity of the method were also investigated. Additionally, for the first time a survey of palm oil and chilli spices was performed in the United States, specifically in the Washington, DC, area. Illegal dyes, primarily Sudan IV, were detected in palm oil at concentrations from 150 to 24 000 ng ml^–1. Low concentrations (< 21 µg kg^–1) of Sudan dyes were found in 11 out of 57 spices and are most likely a result of cross-contamination during preparation and storage and not intentional adulteration.     

Estimated daily intake and safety of FD&C food-colour additives in the US population

ABSTRACT

A refined exposure assessment was undertaken to calculate the estimated daily intake (EDI) of the seven FD&C straight-colour additives and five FD&C colour lakes (‘synthetic’ food colours) approved in the United States. The EDIs were calculated for the US population as a whole and specific age groups, including children aged 2–5 and 6–12 years, adolescents aged 13–18 years, and adults aged 19 or more y. Actual use data were collected from an industry survey of companies that are users of these colour additives in a variety of products, with additional input from food colour manufacturers. Food-consumption data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The assessment was further refined by adjusting the intake to more realistic scenarios based on the fraction of products containing colour within specific food categories using data provided by the Mintel International Group Ltd. The results of the analysis indicate that (1) the use levels reported by the industry are consistent with the concentrations measured analytically by the US Food and Drug Administration; and (2) exposure to food-colour additives in the United States by average and high-intake consumers is well below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of each colour additive as published by the Joint WHO/FAO Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and allows wide margins of safety. It is concluded that food colour use as currently practised in the United States is safe and does not result in excessive exposure to the population, even at conservative ranges of food consumption and levels of use.     

Natural Colorant from Marigold-Chemistry and Technology

Natural pigments offer an alternative to synthetic dyes, but for successful application, an understanding of the chemical and physical properties of the pigment is essential. With the growing legislative restrictions on the use of synthetic colors, a reappraisal of natural plant pigments is taking place with a view to use them as possible colorants in foods. For natural pigments to be accepted as food colorants, legal sanction is a must. With the application of new innovations, natural pigments can become more cost effective and increase their competitiveness against certified dye and dye products. Marigold flowers, which are yellow to orange red in color, are a rich source of lutein, a carotenoid pigment. This pigment has acquired greater significance because of its antioxidant property and for its eye health protection. Although marigold flower extract has been used in veterinary feeds, the potential use of marigold as a natural food colorant has not been exploited to the full extent due to the lack of information on its safety, stability, and compatibility in foods. This article deals with the chemistry, processing, and stability of the pigment and its applications.     

天然着色剂在食品中的应用

<正> 美食强调的是色、香、味,而“色”即其外观,是食品的重要属性,与食品的风味和品质同样重要。我们看到黄色会想到柠檬,看到绿色则想到青柠,看到红色或许会想起草莓。颜色同样也会影响食品的甜味感,据报导,草莓饮料颜色在2～12％变化时,     

液相色谱-串联质谱法检测食品中合成染料的研究进展

合成染料由于价格低廉、着色能力强和性质稳定等特点而被广泛用于赋予和改善食品色泽, 但合成染料的滥用问题如超范围使用、超限量使用以及违法使用会对消费者的健康造成不利影响, 因此需要高灵敏度和高准确度的分析方法来检测食品中的合成染料, 以确保食品安全。液相色谱-串联质谱法具有高选择性、高灵敏度和准确性等优点, 在合成染料定性和定量分析中发挥着重要作用。本文综述了液相色谱-串联质谱法在食品中合成染料检测的研究进展, 涉及合成染料的样品前处理方法、色谱分离方法和质谱检测方法, 并对液相色谱-串联质谱技术在合成染料检测领域未来的发展趋势进行了展望, 为今后合成染料检测的方法开发提供参考和思路。     

食品中人工食用色素安全性

人工食用色素是食品添加剂的重要种类,其安全性备受社会各界关注。介绍各国允许使用的人工食用色素种类,论述不同国家及地区对人工食用色素的使用政策及态度,讨论人工食用色素的最新毒理学研究,为人工食用色素的安全使用提供重要依据。     

Aquatic food animals in the United States: Status quo and challenges

This review summarizes (1) the U.S. status quo for aquatic food animal production and marketing; (2) major food safety and quality issues/concerns for aquatic food animals in the United States, including fish misbranding, finfish/shellfish allergies, pathogens, toxins and harmful residues, microplastics, and genetically engineered salmon; and (3) various U.S. regulations, guidances, and detection methods for the surveillance of fishery products. Overall, fish misbranding is the biggest challenge in the United States due to the relatively low inspection rate. In addition, due to the regulatory differences among countries, illegal animal drugs and/or pesticide residues might also be identified in imported aquatic food animals. Future regulatory and research directions could focus on further strengthening international cooperation, enhancing aquatic food animal inspection, and developing reliable, sensitive, and highly efficient detection methods.     

罐头食品安全标准体系国内外对比分析研究

目的 通过对国内外罐头食品安全标准中的安全指标进行对比分析,为我国罐头行业的发展及管理提供参考.方法 收集中国、国际食品法典委员会(CAC)、欧盟和美国四个国家和组织制定的有关罐头食品安全指标的相关标准及法规,从组胺、污染物、生物毒素、食品添加剂以及其他指标分别进行综述与对比分析.结果 在组胺的安全限量要求方面,美国相...     

可供开发食品添加剂(Ⅵ):红甘蓝色素及其生理功能

红甘蓝色素由紫甘蓝叶子提取而得,在欧美、日本等国已有较长应用史,而我国尚未列入GB2760准用名单。普通红甘蓝色素因含有少量含硫氨基酸,可产生硫化物和硫醇类挥发性成分,特别是硫化物中二甲基三硫化物,其嗅觉阀值很低,故在使用上受到掣制。经采用特殊的提取精制工艺,可最大限度地减少其前驱物质,减缓使用限制。红甘蓝色素主成分为十五种花色素苷的酰化衍生物,作为天然食用色素,其耐热和耐光性比同类色素较稳定;此外,尚发现其具有抑制超氧阴离子等较强抗氧化及缓解糖尿病等生理功能。     

试论复配添加剂充当非法添加物载体的风险

以近年来发生的苏丹红染料和邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂污染食品为例, 说明了复配食品添加剂充当非法添加物载体的风险;分析了复配食品添加剂潜伏风险因素的成因;讨论了非法添加物通过复配食品添加剂携带污染食品的特点;从复配添加剂生产、食品生产中复合食品添加剂使用与以及对上述两者的监管等方面提出了风险管理与应对的措施。     

部分国家及国际组织食品用酶制剂管理现状

世界各国对食品用酶制剂的管理非常重视，特别是对微生物及转基因微生物生产的酶制剂的管理。为给我国的食品用酶制剂的管理提供借鉴，详细介绍了美国、欧盟和FAO／wHO食品添加剂联合专家委员会(JECFA)对食品用酶制剂的管理、安全评价，以及目前各国普遍认可并采用的安全评价转基因微生物生产食品用酶制剂的判断树。     

结构生色及其染整应用前景(一)

结构生色,又称物理生色,具有高饱和度、高亮度、永不褪色的独特性能.通过阐述结构色的原理、自然界中存在的结构色生物材料、人工制备结构色的方法、光子晶体的发展、制备方法和主要性质,以及结构色的发展和研究方向,提出了通过结构生色来代替染料染色的设想,给出了目前出现的几种结构色在纺织产业中相对初级的实际应用(如涂层织物、液晶织物、日本帝人公司开发的Morphotex等),指出目前阻碍结构色在实际应用的困难和问题.     

国外食品添加剂法规标准介绍

介绍了国际食品法典委员会、美国、欧盟、日本有关食品添加剂的定义和范围,食品添加剂法规标准框架结构与内容,以及各国食品添加剂的管理部门和不同的管理方式。为加强我国食品添加剂管理和进口食品中添加剂的使用管理,以及出口食品生产企业组织生产提供参考。     

Review of the regulation and safety assessment of food substances in various countries and jurisdictions

This review compares the regulations, definitions and approval processes for substances intentionally added to or unintentionally present in human food in the following specific countries/jurisdictions: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States. This includes direct food additives, food ingredients, flavouring agents, food enzymes and/or processing aids, food contact materials, novel foods, and nanoscale materials for food applications. The regulatory authority of each target jurisdiction/country uses its own regulatory framework and although the definitions, regulations and approval processes may vary among all target countries, in general there are many similarities. In all cases, the main purpose of each authority is to establish a regulatory framework and maintain/enforce regulations to ensure that food consumed and sold within its respective countries is safe. There is a move towards harmonisation of food regulations, as illustrated by Australia and New Zealand and by Mercosur. The European Union has also established regulations, which are applicable for all member states, to establish a common authorisation procedure for direct food additives, flavourings and enzymes. Although the path for approval of different categories of food additives varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, there are many commonalities in terms of the data requirements and considerations for assessment of the safety of use of food additives, including the use of positive lists of approved substances, pre-market approval, and a separation between science and policy decisions. The principles applied are largely reflective of the early work by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) committees and JECFA assessments of the safety of food additives for human and animal foods.     

Natural Pigments: Stabilization Methods of Anthocyanins for Food Applications

The production of natural food pigments continues to grow worldwide. The global market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.22%, by revenue, over the period 2015 to 2019. Pigments such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, and chlorophylls have been used to color foods. However, there are challenges related to color losses during food processing, storage, and commercialization due to a low stability of natural pigments compared to synthetic colorants. This review summarizes the most recent studies and patents aimed at enhancing anthocyanin stability in food systems. The stabilizing methods include additions of copigment compounds, such as polymers, phenolic compounds, and metals. In addition, the exclusion of O₂ during processing and storage, hard‐panned candy coating methods for blue, green, and brown colors, and various encapsulation techniques were considered. Combining strategies and evaluating new materials capable of stabilizing anthocyanins will enhance their potential for use as value‐added natural food pigments.