Comparitive Guide: Natural food colors vs Synthetic food colors

Food colors, colorings, or colorants are most commonly used in foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. There are two types of food coloring: natural food colors and artificial food colors. Each has its benefits and disadvantages. Well, here we will discuss natural food colors vs. synthetic food colors and explore the pros and cons of both types of food colorings.

Food colors are widely popular for use in a variety of industrial and domestic applications, including coloring foods, tablets, cosmetics, plastics, home and personal care products, and more. Natural food colors are colorants derived from natural sources, such as plants, trees, vegetables, fruits, etc. Synthetic food colors are produced from coal tar or petroleum-based chemicals in a well-crafted laboratory environment. 

Natural and synthetic food colors have advantages and disadvantages and tend to have unique human perceptions based on health concerns, safety, and authority regulations. Let’s dive deeper to understand the difference between natural food colors and synthetic food colors. 

Before we discuss natural vs. synthetic food colors in more detail, let’s first understand food coloring.

What is food coloring?

Food coloring, colorants, or coloring agents refer to any dye or pigment used in producing food and beverage products. It is commonly used to impart color to food items with different hues and shades, making the product more appealing to consumers. 

Whether you’re a business or an individual, knowing everything about food coloring is important to get a better understanding. The primary purpose of food coloring is to improve the visual appearance of a product. Additionally, food coloring helps enhance palatability value, reduce drug counterfeiting, correct dosage forms, and improve marketing efforts when branding products.

What is natural food color?

Natural food colorings refer to colors, colorants, or coloring agents produced from natural sources, including plants, vegetables, greens, animals, or minerals. Natural food colors are often considered healthier and safer than synthetic food dyes. However, these colors are not always safe and healthier since some natural alternatives aren’t rigorously tested and regulated.

For decades, natural food colorants have been used to impart colors to various foods and beverages. These colors are typically derived by boiling, juicing, and crushing, making them purer and safer. Spinach extract (green), beetroot extract (red), turmeric (yellow), and anthocyanins from berries (blue and purple) are a few examples of natural food colors.

What is synthetic food color?

Synthetic/artificial food colors are those colors, colorants, or coloring agents derived from complex chemical reactions, such as coal tar, hydrocarbons, sulfur ions, and nitrogen. With the emergence of innovative technologies, synthetic food dyes are produced from crude oil or petroleum. 

Synthetic food colors or color additives are used to increase a product’s aesthetic appeal. Compared to natural food colors, synthetic food colors are more cost-efficient, durable, and stable. Synthetic food colorants can easily be found in various forms, including liquid, gel, and powder.

Popular Natural Food Colors Used in Foods & Beverages

Chlorophyllin (E140, E141), Carotenoids (E160, E161, E164), betanin (E162), and anthocyanins (E163) are the main categories of plant pigments most commonly used to color food and beverage items. These color groups further include other food colorants or specialized derivatives, namely: 

• Carmine (E120), a red dye produced from the Dactylopius coccus, a cochineal insect 
• Caramel coloring (E150a-d), produced from caramelized sugar
• Annatto (E160b), a reddish-orange dye produced from the achiote seed
• Turmeric/curcumin (E100)
• Paprika (E160c)
• Lycopene (E160d)
• Elderberry juice (E163)

Popular Synthetic Food Colors Used in Food & Beverages

Synthetic food dyes or colorants require certifications and approvals from regulatory bodies and legal authorities before being made available for use to customers. THE US FDA is the regulatory authority that regulates synthetic food dyes to ensure safety concerns. They have approved and permitted artificial food dyes for commercial and domestic applications. These popular synthetic dyes are: 

• FD&C Yellow No. 5: Tartrazine, E102 (provides yellow shade)
• FD&C Yellow No. 6: Sunset yellow FCF, E110 (imparts orange shade)
• FD&C Green No. 3: Fast green FCF, E143 (produces turquoise shade)
• FD&C Blue No. 1: Brilliant blue FCF, E133 (gives blue shade)
• FD&C Blue No. 2: Indigotine, E132 (offers indigo shade)
• FD&C Red No. 3: Erythrosine, E127 (provides pink shade)
• FD&C Red No. 40: Allura red AC, E129 (gives red shade)

Now that you understand the basics of natural food colors and synthetic food colors, let’s dive deeper into the comparison of natural food colors and synthetic food colors.

Natural Food Colors vs Synthetic Food Colors

What is the difference between natural food colors and synthetic food colors? Are you still wondering how natural food colors differ from artificial food colors? Here are some important differences and detailed comparisons.

How Are They Made?

The main difference between natural and artificial food colors is the source of production. Natural food colors are derived from naturally occurring ingredients, such as plants, trees, vegetables, animals, and minerals.

Conversely, synthetic food dyes are produced from coal tar and petroleum-based chemicals, including azo, triphenylmethane, xanthene, and indigoid dyes.

What is the Cost?

Natural dyes or colors are derived naturally and are much more expensive due to limited natural resources, such as plants, trees, and vegetables. Synthetic dyes, on the other hand, are cost-effective and can be easily found in the market due to their mass production and broader availability. 

Due to the cost factor, natural dyes are not readily available and are often used in limited applications. Furthermore, artificial food dyes are best suited for large-scale production.

What is the Lifespan?

When it comes to comparing natural food dyes with artificial food colors, they often tend to have a poor lifespan and fade away after a certain period. Synthetic dyes, on the other hand, provide greater shelf life and don’t fade away or lose their appearance after the application. 

These properties make synthetic dyes the best choice for various industrial applications, including food, drugs, and cosmetics.

Bright Colors

Several factors affect the overall color consistency and intensity of natural food dyes due to their limited sources, growing conditions, and extraction techniques. Natural food colors tend to produce more eco-friendly, muted, and earthy tones than artificial colors. 

On the contrary, synthetic food colors provide bright, more vibrant colors with different shades, hues, and fine tones than natural ones. With synthetic food colors, businesses can easily achieve different colors, which is not the case with natural dyes.

Safety and Regulation: Natural food colors vs synthetic food colors

There’s no doubt that natural colors are healthier and often the good choice for most consumers out there. However, not all natural colors are always safe and much healthier, as they are not regulated and monitored by the regulatory authorities. So, it can also be a safety concern when it comes to the labeling & packaging of natural food colors. 

Conversely, synthetic food colors are certified and approved under a rigorous testing procedure to meet the quality standards set by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Synthetic dyes are generally safe when used properly and within limits as labeled on the packet.

Which is better: Natural food colors vs synthetic food colors?

The choice between natural and synthetic food colors solely depends on various factors and considerations, including individual needs, product requirements, and the expectations of the audiences you target. Both natural and synthetic food colors are safe to consume when used properly and in moderation. 

While natural colors are popular due to their potential health concerns and benefits, synthetic food dyes have become more popular because they can provide brighter, stable colors for many foods, beverages, and processed food items. 

If you are a household looking to add some extra color to your home products, natural colors might be the best option. On the other hand, synthetic colors are the go-to choice for businesses and large industrial applications, including food, drugs, cosmetics, and domestic use.

Conclusion

In the end, both natural and synthetic food colors have pros and cons and offer significant value to each application. Synthetic food colors are known for their ability to provide brighter, vibrant colors for a variety of applications, including food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, while natural food colors are growing due to their various health benefits. 

Both food colorants are safe when used in moderation and as directed by the regulatory body. However, the choice of which one is better depends on the user preferences, likes, product needs, and application types. 

If you are a business in need of quality food colorants that add greater value to your product and enhance your marketing efforts, get in touch with us today! We are a reputed manufacturer and exporter of superior-quality food colors, pharmaceutical colors, and cosmetic colors used in various industrial applications. 

Contact our chem experts today for more information on the wide range of synthetic dyes or pigments we produce at our manufacturing facility.