Color Additives1

By Kathleen Zelman

1. Color additives have long been part of our food supply to add visual appeal,
especially to children. Conversely, with today‘s desire for less adulterated foods,
some question the need for and safety of color additives.

Definition

2. Color additives, including food dyes and pigments, are substances derived from both
synthetic and plant, animal or mineral sources that add color to food. The objective is
to enhance natural colors, add color to otherwise colorless foods, compensate for
natural color variations and help identify flavors (such as yellow for lemon).

Functions, Names and Labeling

3. Synthetic color additives were developed to maintain hue and depth of color
regardless of pH, temperature or presence of other ingredients. Synthetic colors are
classified as ―certifiable colors,‖ as they require U.S. Food and Drug Administration
testing and certification each time a new color batch is used. Certifiable color
additives are man-made and derived primarily from petroleum. The nine FDA-
approved ―certifiable colors‖ include: FD&C (FDA approved for Food, Drugs &
Cosmetics) Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No.
5 and Yellow No. 6; Orange B (only for use in hot dog and sausage casings) and
Citrus Red No. 2 (only for use to color orange peels).

4. Other color additives derived from sources such as fruits, vegetables, insects and
minerals are ―exempt‖ from batch testing and certification, but they still must adhere
to safety standards and regulatory requirements. Examples include grape skin
extract, saffron, and fruit and vegetable juices. Some people may call these color

1 Zelman, K. (2017). Color additives. Retrieved from https://foodandnutrition.org/september-october-2017/color-additives/

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additives ―natural.‖ However, the term ―natural‖ is not regulated or defined by the
FDA, and the FDA objects to the term‘s use in products containing added color,
whether from certifiable or plant- or mineral-derived colorants.

5. Certifiable colors must be declared on food labels by the name of the additive, with at
least the color and number (such as ―Blue 2‖). Other color additives may be declared
as ―Artificial Color,‖ ―Artificial Color Added‖ or ―Color Added,‖ or by an equally
informative term such as ―Colored with Fruit Juice‖ or ―Vegetable Juice Color.‖
Carmine and cochineal extract color additives must be declared on labels because
some people are allergic to these substances. The ability to replace synthetic with
plant- or mineral-derived colorant compounds depends on and varies with the pH
and temperature of the food or beverage. Certifiable colorants may be preferable
when the color needs to be vibrant, stable for long periods of time or when a specific
color cannot be achieved with plant– or mineral-derived options.

Oversight

6. The FDA oversees all color additives, which must be approved for use in food,
dietary supplements, drugs and cosmetics, and includes ongoing review of scientific
evidence on the safety of their use. In addition, the FDA sets specifications and
limitations for types of foods to which each color additive may be added, maximum
amounts allowed in foods and how they must be identified on labels. Color additives
are regulated a little differently than other additives. ―Because of the potential to
deceive consumers about quality or safety of food, color additives require proof of
safety during the authorization procedure and cannot be registered as ‗generally
recognized as safe,‘ exempt from FDA approval,‖ says Kantha Shelke, PhD, CFS,
principal at Corvus Blue, LLC, and adjunct faculty in food safety regulations at Johns
Hopkins University.

Safety

7. Despite additional layers of oversight, some consumers are concerned about the
safety of food dyes. The FDA asserts color additives are thoroughly evaluated prior
to approval and safe when used in accordance with regulations. However, over the
years, many colors — including yellows 1, 2, 3 and 4 — have been banned due to
adverse health effects. Color additives that have been found to cause cancer in
animals or humans may not be used in FDA-regulated products marketed in the U.S.

8. Scientists have examined the relationship between food coloring and hyperactive
behavior in children with mixed results. ―The FDA has reviewed and will continue to
examine the effects of food dyes on children‘s behavior,‖ says Andrew Zajac, PhD,
director of the Division of Petition Review in FDA‘s Office of Food Additive Safety.
―The totality of scientific evidence indicates that most children have no adverse

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effects when consuming color additives, but some evidence suggests that certain
children may be sensitive to them.‖

9. Adverse reactions to color additives are estimated to be quite rare overall, even
among people with allergies. Research is limited in this area, and there is no
scientific evidence to support a link between exposure to artificial coloring and
allergies. That said, some experts think color additives are completely unnecessary.
―It‘s better to color food with colorants from food sources or add no color at all than to
use synthetic color additives without the benefit of long-term safety studies,‖ says
Virginia Tech food science professor Sean F. O‘Keefe, PhD. Whether in response to
mounting evidence or ongoing consumer concern, many companies around the
world have begun eliminating food dyes from some or all of their products. The
British government now requires warning labels on most foods containing color
additives, which has led to the reformulation of many products.

Final Thoughts

10. There is a growing trend to replace synthetic colors with plant- or mineral-derived
compounds. These are assumed to be safer, but without regulation of the term
"natural‖ and without being batch tested or certified, plant- and mineral-derived color
additives are not a panacea. ―It is essential that all colorants be tested with the same
rigor, something not always done with ingredients such as fruit extracts that bestow a
false sense of safety because they are derived from familiar plants and foods,‖
Shelke says. Color additives, which confer no health or nutritional benefit, are
unlikely to be dangerous for most people. For those wishing to avoid color additives,
helpful strategies include reading food labels and eating more foods that are
minimally processed

The main idea of a reading is what the whole reading is about.

Decide which paragraph corresponds with the following main idea.

_____ 1. Certifiable color additives are man-made colorants that have to be approved
by the US FDA.

_____ 2. It is required that all non-natural colour additives must be declared in some
way on food labels.

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_____ 3. Though color additives are safe if they are used as regulated by the FDA,
people are still concerned about their safety and health consequences.

_____ 4. Natural colorants do not have be certified by FDA, but they still have to
adhere safety standards and controlling requirements.

_____ 5. Color additives are substances that add to the colour and attraction of food.

_____ 6. Despite people's lack of serious reactions to color additives, experts

discourage using them for the reason of un-necessity.
_____ 7. The FDA controls all the processes of using color additives in food products.

_____ 8. There is no guarantee that natural colour additives are safe, therefore,
health-conscious people should read the labels carefully or avoid consuming
colored food products.

Directions: Decide if each statement is true or false. Write T for true and F for false.

_____ 1. Today people do not think color additives are necessary.

_____ 2. The primary purpose of using color additives is to make food look enticing to
children.

_____ 3. Color additives are made from plants and animals.

_____ 4. Color additives are used to indicate to people about the tastes of a food.

_____ 5. In order to keep the hue and depth of color, synthetic color additives were
developed under certain circumstances such as temperature.

_____6. Before man-made color additives can be allowed to use, they must be approved
by the US FDA.

_____ 7. The main ingredients for certified color additives are petroleum.

_____ 8. At present, the US FDA has certified more than a dozen color additives.

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_____ 9. Natural color additives do not have to be certified by the USFDA, neither they are
under any regulatory requirements.
_____10. The FDA requires that people refer to colors derived from fruits such as grape
skins as "natural" color additives.

_____11. All certifiable color additives must be made known on the lables of the food
products by one way or another.

_____12. People use pH and temperature to make change of synthetic colorant

compounds.

_____13. Though a color additive is proven safe, it cannot be displayed as "exempt from
FDA approval".

A: Definitions
Find the words in the article that complete the following definitions.

1. A/n________________
appeal is a quality that something has that makes people like it or want
it. (n.) Par. 1

2. Food that is made impure or with a substance added to it is referred to as

______________.
adulterated (adj.) Par.1

Additives
3. _____________ are substances that are added in small amounts to foods or other things
in order to improve them or to make them last longer or look more attractive.(n.) Par.2

4. If you _____________
maintain something, you continue to have it, and do not let it stop or grow
weaker. (v.) Par. 2 3

5. _____________
Man-made things are created or caused by people, rather than occurring naturally.
(adj.) Par. 3.

6. A(n)____________
source is a place, person, or thing from which something comes or can be
obtained. (n.) Par.4

7. If you are _____________to

allergic something, you become ill or get a rash when you eat it,
smell it, or touch it. (adj.) Par. 5

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8. If someone or something has ___________,

potential they have the necessary abilities or qualities
to become successful or useful in the future. (n.) Par. 6

assert
9. To ___________ means to state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully. (v.) Par. 7

10. If you say that something is not a ____________

panacea for a particular set of problems, you
mean that it will not solve all those problems. (n.) Par. 10

B. Choosing the correct variant

1. derived a) obtained b) developed c) created
2. compensate for a) make up for b) present to c) set aside
3. regardless of a) despite b) irrespective of c) due to
4. adhere to a) follow b) make away with c) stipulate
5. object to a) prefer b) oppose c) praise
6. at least a) for the time being b) for the most part c) at the minimum
7. substance a) material b) essence c) axis
8. vary with a) take part in b) come across c) change according to
9. in addition a) by way of b) because of c) furthermore
10. adjunct a) preacher b) researcher c) assistant
11. oversight a) supervision b) attention c) failure
12. concerned about a) hopeless about b) worried about c) impatient with
13. adverse a) negative b) harmful c) different
14. trend a) popularity b) tendency c) process
15. confer a) affect b) bring about c) obstruct

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C: Choosing grammatically correct form

From the list of inflected forms in parentheses, choose the form that grammatically fits into
the space. Add endings (–s or –ed, for example) if necessary.

Example:

0. (similar, similarly, similarity): The repertoire of gestures and postures by which

chimpanzees communicate with one another are strikingly ___similar___ to that of
human beings.

Explanation: strikingly is an adverb and it needs to be followed by an adjective. In other

words, similar is an adjective, and it can be modified only by an adverb–strikingly.

1. (visual, visually, visualize): A ____________

visually stunning cartoon is an appeal to children.

2. (add, addition, additional): The colour range favours warm and tropical colours, with
the _________
addition of blue and sea green.

3. (synthesis, synthetic, synthesize): The light energy is used to split apart carbon
dioxide and _____________
synthesize the carbon-based molecules of life

4. (nature, natural, naturally): Geological experts said the disaster was due to
natural
__________causes.

5. (equal, equally, equalize): Of course it is for everyone in the community to tackle racism
and to ensure everyone is treated __________.
equally
completely
6. (evaluate, evaluation, evaluable): The market situation is difficult to thoroughly
____________.
evaluate

7. (review, revise, reviewable): After __________

reviewing the previous day's work, we know what
to do the next day.

8. (react, reaction, reactive): Rail passengers have reacted

___________ angrily to news that
fares are set to rise

9. (consume, consumer, consumption): The demand for a product is the sum of the
demand of individual ___________.
consumption

essentially
10. (essence, essential, essentially): I think there are, _____________, two sorts of issues
that need to be dealt with in reviews
Essential grammar

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FDA2
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is a federal agency of the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive
departments. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the
control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription
and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals,
blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED),
cosmetics, animal foods & feed and veterinary products. As of 2017, 3/4th of the FDA
budget (approximately $700 million) is funded by the pharmaceutical companies due to the
Prescription Drug User Fee Act.

pH3
pH describes the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A low pH indicates acidic conditions, and
a high pH indicates basic conditions.

pH is actually a measure of the amount of hydrogen ions in solution. In fact, some people
think of it as being the ―power of hydrogen.‖ A low pH has a large number of free hydrogen
ions in the water, whereas a high pH has relatively few. Technically, pH is the negative
logarithm of the free hydrogen activity in solution.

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_Drug_Administration
3 http://www.fondriest.com/news/whatis-ph.htm

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