Genotoxicity of Synthetic Food Colorants

A study was conducted to evaluate the genotoxicity, if any, of the permitted synthetic food colorants used in India. Eight synthetic food colorants namely Erythrosine （E 127）, Tartrazine （E 102）, Ponceau 4R （E 124）, Sunset Yellow FCF （E 110）, Brilliant Blue FCF （E133）, Fast Green FCF （E143）, Carmoisine （E122） and Indigo Carmine （E132） and their combination are used in sweets namely Ladu, Jilebi and Halwa in Calicut and suburban areas of Kerala, in India. The genotoxicity of the colorants alone and in combinations at different concentrations were evaluated by Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus （CBMN） Assay. It was observed that all the above colorants and their combinations could cause genotoxicity to human lymphocytes even at the permissible concentration of 100 ppm as per PFA （Prevention of Food Adulteration） Act of India. The toxicity varied from dye to dye and was proportional to their concentration. Combination of colors showed more toxicity than the individual components. Toxicity could be reduced drastically by reducing the concentration of the dyes at least 50% below the permissible limit. Permitted synthetic food colorants even at the permissible limit should be used with caution. This study demonstrated the need for redefining the permissible limit of the food colorants based on Admissible Daily Intake （ADI） as being practiced in developed countries.

Facile preparation of nano-g-C_(3)N_(4)/UiO-66-NH_(2) composite as sorbent for high-efficient extraction and preconcentration of food colorants prior to HPLC analysis

In this work,the nano-g-C_(3)N_(4)/Ui O-66-NH_(2)composite was prepared by one-step solvothermal method.The as-prepared composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,Brunner-Emmet-Teller measurement,energy dispersive spectrometer,X-ray diffraction,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.By using nano-g-C_(3)N_(4)/Ui O-66-NH_(2)composite as sorbent,a dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed to sensitive analysis of food colorants including tartrazine,amaranth,carmine,sunset yellow,allura red and bright blue.The experiment parameters including the amount of sorbent,adsorption time,the p H of adsorption solution,desorption time,desorption solvent,the p H of desorption solution as well as the proportion between desorption solvent and buffer solvent were investigated.Under the optimized conditions,the limits of detection(S/N=3) and limits of quantitation (S/N=10) were determined in the ranges of 0.08-0.8 and 0.2-2.0 ng/m L,respectively.With the developed sample pretreatment method,carmine and brilliant blue were determined from blueberry juice by HPLC-DAD.The contents were calculated as 1.53μg/m L and0.17μg/mL,respectively.

Natural hydroxyanthraquinoid pigments as potent food grade colorants:an overview

Natural pigments and colorants are widely used in the world in many industries such as textile dying,food processing or cosmetic manufacturing.Among the natural products of interest are various compounds belonging to carotenoids,anthocyanins,chlorophylls,melanins,betalains...The review emphasizes pigments with anthraquinoid skeleton and gives an overview on hydroxyanthraquinoids described in Nature,the first one ever published.Trends in consumption,production and regulation of natural food grade colorants are given,in the current global market.The second part focuses on the description of the chemical structures of the main anthraquinoid colouring compounds,their properties and their biosynthetic pathways.Main natural sources of such pigments are summarized,followed by discussion about toxicity and carcinogenicity observed in some cases.As a conclusion,current industrial applications of natural hydroxyanthraquinoids are described with two examples,carminic acid from an insect and Arpink red^(™)from a filamentous fungus.

Oxidation and Complexation-Based Spectrophotometric Methods for Sensitive Determination of Tartrazine E102 in Some Commercial Food Samples

Two new sensitive spectrophotometric methods are reported for determination of tartrazine (Tz) (E102) in some commercial food samples. The first method involves two coupled reactions, the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) by the analyte in acetate buffer medium (pH = 5.9) at 30°C and the complexation reaction between Cu(I) and Tz oxidized form to yield Cu-Tz complex (method I). The other method is based on oxidation of Tz by alkaline KMnO4. These reactions are monitored spectrophotometrically at maximum absorbances 332 and 610 nm for methods (I and II) respectively. Variables affecting these reactions are carefully studied and the conditions are optimized. The stability constants are calculated at 293, 303, 313 and 323 K. The thermodynamic parameters, Gibb’s free energy change (ΔG), entropy change (ΔS), and enthalpy change (ΔH) associated with the complexation reaction are calculated and discussed. Under optimized conditions the proposed methods (I, II) obey Beer’s law 10.69 - 85.50, 5.34 - 34.12 μg·ml-1 of Tz respectively. The molar absorptivity, sandel sensitivity, detection and quantification limits are calculated. Matrix effects are also investigated. The methods are successfully applied to the quantification of Tz in different commercially food samples. The results obtained are in good agreement with those obtained by the reported methods at the 95% confidence level.

Study on Extraction and Conversion Annatto （Bixa orellana L.） Color into Norbixin to Prepare Food Grade Water-Soluble Norbixin Powder

Response surface methodology was used in this research to optimize the technical parameters of the extraction and conversion color compound in armatto seeds into norbixin. Parameters affected the extraction efficiency and norbixin recovery yield were solvent concentration, rate of solvent/seed, incubation time, and incubation temperature. The optimization results including： concentration of ethanol is 51.82°; concentration of NaOH is 0.52 M; ratio of solvent/seed is 7.1/1; incubation time is 33.12 minutes, incubation temperature is 58.6℃, and the rate of 36% HCl/color solution is 0.5/5 （v/v）.

Bon Appetit! An Investigation About the Best and Worst Color Combinations of Lighting and Food

We investigated an interaction effect between lighting color and food color that stimulates or discourages one＇s appetite. Facilitated by the LED （light-emitting diode） as an additional chromatic lighting source, observers selected the best and worst lighting colors by themselves using a ＂Mini Living Colors （PhilipsTM）＂ in the preliminary test （N = 30） and then color picker software in the main experiment （N = 30）. Food stimuli were composed of two aspects, type--natural or processed--and complexity--low or high, and consequently they were grouped into four categories. We measured the selected lighting color in terms of chromaticity and illumination level, and analyzed the best and worst combinations based on these measurements. Throughout the two empirical studies, we found three tendencies： First, except for the white, yellow lighting stimulates while red and blue discourages one＇s appetite. Second, when color categories of lighting and food are similar to each other, it stimulates the appetite whereas complementary, it discourages it. Third, the type of food does not act as an influencing factor.

Red pigment production by Penicillium purpurogenum GH2 is influenced by pH and temperature

The combined effects of pH and temperature on red pigment production and fungal morphology were evaluated in a submerged culture of Penicillium purpurogenum GH2, using Czapek-Dox media with D-xylose as a carbon source. An experimental design with a factorial fix was used: three pH values (5, 7, and 9) and two temperature levels (24 and 34 °C) were evaluated. The highest production of red pigment (2.46 g/L) was reached with a pH value of 5 and a temperature of 24 °C. Biomass and red pigment production were not directly associated. This study demon- strates that P. purpurogenum GH2 produces a pigment of potential interest to the food industry. It also shows the feasibility of producing and obtaining natural water-soluble pigments for potential use in food industries. A strong combined effect (p<0.05) of pH and temperature was associated with maximal red pigment production (2.46 g/L).