Certified Synthetic Colors: Ensuring Quality and Compliance
Certified color additives are synthetic colors, colorants, or coloring agents widely used to provide intense, uniform color, and more vibrant colors with various shades and hues to make the products more appealing and attractive to consumers’ eyes. These synthetic colors or color additives are classified as certified as they undergo rigorous testing and certification before they can be used in applications.
In this blog, you will learn what certified synthetic colors are, including their key features and advantages. We often wonder what are synthetic dyes or color additives and understand their uses. Synthetic colors, also known as certified colors, are regulated by the FDA through a stringent testing process through batch certification to ensure safety and efficacy.
The US FDA issues a certification if it finds that the synthetic color additive meets the required specifications per its quality standards. If you are still wondering what certified synthetic colors are and need more information on FDA-certified color additives, continue reading this blog further.
What are Color Additives?
A color additive refers to any substance that is used to provide color to foods, drugs, and cosmetics. Color additives combine both synthetic substances (such as coal-tar or petroleum-based chemicals) and substances extracted from natural sources (such as plants, trees, beetroots, minerals, etc).
These color additives are sometimes also known as food color additives and are most commonly used in various food applications, including confectionery items, pastries, cakes, ice creams, and more. There is a long history of food color additives as they are widely recognized as food dyes or food colors for a variety of applications.
Additionally, the use of pigments and color additives is widespread and popular in food & beverage items, pharmaceutical products, and cosmetics, making them more attractive and appealing to consumers.
How are certified color additives made?
Certified color additives are made from a variety of sources, including coal tar, petroleum-based chemicals, natural sources, and organic molecules. Most certified colors or color additives are derived from coal-tar, also known as “coal-tar dyes” or “synthetic-organic” colors.
There are some certified color additives manufactured from natural sources, such as plants, trees, vegetables, minerals, etc. Certified colors can be derived from natural sources or synthesized from smaller organic molecules. This process includes multiple purification steps to ensure high-quality, safe products.
Understanding Certified Synthetic Colors
There’s no doubt that synthetic colors have been used for decades and are named the “gold standard” for color additives. FD&C dyes and uses for coloring are popular in food & beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. During the early days of synthetic chemicals, synthetic dyes or colorants were the primary source of revenue.
The US Food and Drug Administration specifically identifies certified synthetic colors on food labels with the designation “FD&C” followed by a number corresponding to the color’s chemical structure. Understanding USFDA-certified colors is crucial for businesses and as well as individuals to ensure proper use of these colorants as directed on the label.
These certified synthetic colors have also been given generic names, including FD&C Red No. 40, a red color additive whose generic name is Allura Red AC. The FDA approves certified synthetic colors for food, drugs, and cosmetics because they are produced using chemical synthesis processes.
There are nine certified color additives certified and approved by the FDA for use in food and beverage products:
- FD&C Blue No. 1: The use of FD&C Blue No.1 is widespread in various products, such as frosting & icings, beverages, cereals, confections, frozen dairy desserts, and popsicles.
- FD&C Blue No. 2: These FD&C colors or dyes are most commonly used in ice cream, baked goods, confections, snack foods, cereals, and yogurt.
- FD&C Green No. 3: FD&C Green No. 3 is widely used in a variety of industrial applications, like drink mixers, sherbet, cereal, ice cream, and baked goods.
- Orange B: The use of Orange B color is only approved for hot dogs and sausage casings.
- Citrus Red No. 2: These certified organic colors or FD&C dyes are used for coloring orange peels only.
- FD&C Red No. 3: FD&C Red No. 3 or Acid Red 51 is mostly used in cereals, beverages, ice cream cones, confections, frosting & icings, frozen dairy desserts, and popsicles.
- FD&C Red No. 40: These FD&C Red No. 40 dyes or colors are generally used in dairy products, beverages, cereal, gelatins, confections, and puddings.
- FD&C Yellow No. 5: These certified synthetic colors are most commonly used in snack foods, cereals, confections, beverages, baked goods, condiments, and yogurt.
- FD&C Yellow No. 6: They are widespread for use in baked goods, snack foods, cereals, beverages, gelatins, crackers, dessert powders, and sauces.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that certified synthetic colors are widely regulated and monitored by the U.S. FDA under stringent rigorous testing procedures to ensure the product meets quality standards. These certified synthetic colors are widely used as a color additive for coloring products in various industrial verticals, including food, drugs, and cosmetics.
Whether you are a business or an individual entrepreneur looking for premium-quality synthetic colors or dyes for your industrial applications or just need more information on the different types of dyes and color pigments we produce at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, get in touch with us today!
