Artificial Colors in Food

To give attractive appearance, colors are frequently added to the foods which are mainly of two types; natural and artificial. Natural food coloring is not harmful as it is obtained from natural sources while artificial food coloring may be dangerous to health because mineral compounds, petrochemicals, petroleum, and coal tar are source of it.

Many artificial food colors contain very toxic chemicals which are responsible for many different, disorders, diseases, behavioral problems and mutations of genes in humans. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), brain tumors and other potential cancers are more serious problems associated with artificial food coloring.

Since the 1950s, adding of artificial colorants to foods has been continuously used. Artificial food colors are lack of nutritional value or health benefits; simply they are added to give an appealing and appetizing look. To increase public awareness about the potential health dangers of artificial food colors and dyes, movement has been started during the mid-1970s and several studies are also performed related to the artificial food colors. Also, scientific communities have published results of such studies by the journal publications. Due to dangers of artificial food coloring, Australian authorities are thinking about the banning of food dyes and colors to use in processed foods.