Food coloring is an ingredient that can be added to food or other items to enhance or add color. Food coloring can be homemade or commercially produced, naturally derived, or made from synthetic materials. All food coloring is edible, though some people may have a sensitivity to food coloring.leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/758/Burrows06_redacted.pdf
Food coloring dyes food and drinks, and can be used in craft projects also.http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/using/food_colouring In addition, multiple colors of food coloring can be mixed to create unlimited hues and tones that can match surrounding non-edible items as part of a theme.
Food Coloring Uses
Food coloring is used in almost every type of food situation. Home cooks use it to dye easter eggs, tint cake frosting, and make certain foods more deeply colored, such as red velvet cake, or key lime pie. Food manufacturers use food colors to create fantastic colors for candy, soda, and chips, but food coloring can also be added to fresh foods to give them a more "natural" look, or to give the consumer what they expect, like more orange oranges. Food dyes often show up on food labels with a number next to them; these are commercially produced dyes approved by the FDA.http://www.fda.gov/forindustry/coloradditives/coloradditiveinventories/ucm115641.htm
The Dangers of Food Coloring
Food coloring has also been found to cause some health problems. Some scientists believe that food coloring has been linked as a cause of ADHD after a study gone in Great Britain validated the claim.http://student-health-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/food_coloring_and_adhd In addition, scientists have found evidence that dangerous food dyes have caused cancer as well as male sterility.http://science-news.org/artificial-food-coloring/artificial-food-coloring-dangers/ These health risks have led to some groups asking their respective governments to issue an all-out ban on food coloring.http://healthmad.com/nutrition/dangers-of-food-coloring-and-artificial-food-dyes/ So far, countries like the United States have ignored such claims, though food coloring is frequently pulled off the market by the FDA for health reasons.
Food Coloring Experiment
In addition to using food coloring to enhance food, it can also be used for science experiments as well. Different food colorings can mixed and matched to solve an hypothesis, good for any child's science fair project.
References
Fast Facts
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Uses
Enhances the color and flavor of foods
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Where is it found?
Food coloringis is used in fruits and vegetables, some protein foods, and junk food like chips and candy.
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Common colors
Red, yellow, blue, green
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Health factors
Some food coloring has been linked to ADD and issues with immune systems.
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FDA regulated colors
FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40, FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, annatto extract, beta-carotene, grape skin extract, cochineal extract or carmine, paprika oleoresin, caramel color, fruit and vegetable juices, saffron
