Green Natural Colorants
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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Malachite Green Assay for the Discovery of Heat-Shock Protein 90 Inhibitors
Published on: January 20, 2023
Isabel Viera1, Antonio Pérez-Gálvez2, María Roca3
1Food Phytochemistry Department, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), University Campus, Building 46, Carretera de Utrera km. 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain. iviera@ig.csic.es.
Abstract:
Although there is no legal and clear definition of the term "natural food colorant", the market trends, and consequently industrial and commercial interest, have turned to foods with added natural pigments. This progressive substitution of artificial colorants has faced chemical complications with some colors, with a lack of stable green hues being one of them. Several strategies have been applied for green color stabilization in processed foods, from the formation of metallochlorophylls to the microencapsulation of green pigments. However, at present, the utilization of green coloring foodstuffs, which are considered an ingredient in the EU, seems to be the more successful solution for the market. Besides those topics, the present review aims to clarify the current confusion between the different chlorophyll compounds that form part of the authorized green food colorants. In this sense, legislations from different countries are compared. Finally, and in line with current concerns, the knowledge gathered so far in relation to the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of all green natural food colorants is reviewed.
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