05/05/2021
FOOD COLOURINGS
Artificial or natural dyes added to processed foods to enhance or change their colour.
Artificial food colourings are derived from petroleum or synthetically created. These are certified colours and have numbers.
Natural food colourings are derived from spices, vegetables, fruits, plants, animals, and minerals. These are exempt from certification, some have numbers.
Food manufacturers prefer artificial colours as they are more intense, more uniform less expensive, and don’t add unwanted flavour to the end product.
Food colourings must be listed in the ingredients unless they are less than 5% of another ingredient in the food.
AUSTRALIAN FOOD STANDARDS ALLOWS 1️⃣4️⃣ SYNTHETIC FOOD COLOURS AND 2️⃣ “NATURAL” FOOD COLOURS TO BE ADDED TO PROCESSED FOODS.
* Surprisingly this is more than the United States who allow 9️⃣ synthetic food colours.
Here are the 14 synthetic food colours and two “natural” food colours permitted in Australian processed foods ~
1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣ - Amaranth - Synthetic - Bluish red colour - Used in beverages, confectionary, fruit juice, ice cream, jam - BANNED IN THE USA - Potentially hazardous to health 😡😡
1️⃣6️⃣0️⃣🅱️ - Annatto - “Natural” - Yellow to pink colour - Used in beverages, cereals, dairy products, ice cream, icing - Derived from the annatto shrub - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣2️⃣7️⃣ - Erythosine - Synthetic - Cherry pink to red colour - Used in biscuits, canned fruit, cocktail + maraschino + glacé cherries - Potentially hazardous to health 😡😡
1️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ - Cochineal and carmines - “Natural” - Red colour - Derived from the dried bodies of the Dactylopius coccus insect - Used in bakery products, beverages, biscuits, desserts - Caution advised 😠
1️⃣2️⃣9️⃣ - Allura red - Synthetic - Dark red colour - Used in beverages, processed foods - EUROPEAN FOODS must carry HEALTH WARNING on label - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣2️⃣2️⃣ - Azorubine / carmoisine - Synthetic - Red colour - Used in jam, jelly, preserves, processed foods - BANNED IN THE USA, JAPAN, CANADA, HEALTH WARNING LABELS IN EUROPE - Potentially hazardous to health 😡😡
1️⃣5️⃣1️⃣ - Brilliant black BN - Synthetic - Black colour - Used in beverages, desserts, sweets - BANNED IN THE USA, JAPAN, CANADA - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣3️⃣3️⃣ - Brilliant blue FCF - Synthetic - Bright Blue colour - Used in beverages, canned peas, processed foods, sweets - PROHIBITED IN FOODS FOR INFANTS - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣5️⃣5️⃣ - Brown HT - Synthetic - Brown colour - Used in cake mix, chocolate flavoured milk, processed foods - BANNED IN THE USA, JAPAN, CANADA - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣4️⃣3️⃣ - Fast green FCF - Synthetic - Sea green colour - Used in beverages, processed foods - BANNED IN FOODS IN EUROPE AND USA - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣4️⃣2️⃣ - Green S - Synthetic - Green colour - Used in beverages, cake mix, ice cream, mint sauce, processed foods - BANNED IN FOODS IN USA, JAPAN, CANADA - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣3️⃣2️⃣ - Indigotine - Synthetic - Moderate bright green colour - Used in beverages, biscuits, confectionary, ice cream, processed foods, sweets - PROHIBITED IN FOODS FOR INFANTS - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ - Ponceau 4R - Synthetic - Red colour - Used in beverages, cheesecake, confectionery, desserts, jam, jelly, pie fillings, soft drinks, soups - BANNED IN THE USA, HEALTH WARNING LABELS IN EUROPE - Best avoid 😡
1️⃣0️⃣4️⃣ - Quinoline Yellow - Synthetic - Dull yellow to greenish yellow colour - Used in beverages, ice blocks, processed foods - BANNED IN USA, JAPAN, CANADA, HEALTH WARNING LABELS IN EUROPE - Best avoided 😡
1️⃣1️⃣0️⃣ - Sunset yellow FCF - Synthetic - Yellow colour - Used in beverages, ice cream, jam, processed foods, soups, sweets - HEALTH WARNINGS IN EUROPE - Potentially hazardous to health 😡😡
1️⃣0️⃣2️⃣ - Tartrazine - Synthetic - Lemon to yellow orange colour - Used in beverages, chewing gum, confectionery, ice cream, jam, jelly, sweets, yoghurt - HEALTH WARNING LABELS IN EUROPE - Potentially hazardous to health 😡😡
Information obtained from Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Chemical Maze, Environmental Working Group, US Food and Drug Administration, European Food Safety Authority.
HOW DO I AVOID FOOD COLOURINGS?
This one is easy... EAT REAL FOOD
Whole foods and minimally processed foods.
If you still need convincing after reading the above information please get in contact with me.
