Food colorants: anthocyanins

Interest in food colorants as shown by the number of patents has doubled in recent years with natural pigments outnumbering synthetics by five to one. The natural colorant area can be subdivided into anthocyanins, betalains, chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, Monascus, hemes, quinones, biliproteins, safflower, turmeric, and miscellaneous. All involve different groups of chemical compounds which may be used directly as colorants, or may be chemically modified to produce different hues or increased stability. All usually involve a method of collection, extraction, purification, possibly stabilization, and formulation. A variety of hues can be obtained ranging from green through yellow, orange, red, blue, and violet, depending on the source of colorant. Similarly, water or oil-soluble formulations can be prepared depending on the type of colorant.