What Is Food Coloring?
Food coloring is used to make your food look more appealing and appetizing. Unnatural food coloring is made from petroleum-based chemicals. Food coloring refers to the process of adding a dye, pigment, or any substance that changes the color of food or drinks.
The coloring additives come in different forms. They can be liquids, solids, gels, pastes, or powders. Food coloring is used in domestic cooking and commercial food production, and most people use food coloring additives to enhance the taste and appeal of the food prepared. However, there are better options for food coloring. Instead of using chemically derived colors, you can opt for ones that are made from extracts from natural food sources.
Unnatural food colors have been linked to many health issues. In this article, you will learn about three reasons you should avoid unnatural food coloring.
- Linked with Long Term Health Problems
Artificial food colors are linked with chronic health problems. Unnatural food coloring has been linked to:
- Hyperactivity
- Allergies
- Cancer
- Asthma
- ADHD
- Hypersensitivity
The three most widely used dyes – Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 contain cancer-causing agents. Red 3 is another food dye that is still being used commercially even though the FDA has identified it as a carcinogen.
We are drawn to colors that indicate that something has nutritional content. We associated the red tomato or orange color with something good for us. Artificial colors trick our minds into thinking the food will taste good and have some nutritional value. However, these colors are unhealthy and do not add any value to the food. Instead, choose natural dyes from foods like beets, carrots, berries, and turmeric. You can add color to your baked goods by substituting food coloring to real foods.
- Adds No Value to Your Food
Just like other artificial food substances, humanmade food additives trick you into thinking the food will taste good because of the color. The reality is that food colors have no nutritional value. Instead, food colors add an unrealistic and unnatural hue to candy, baked goods, and other foods to trick consumers into consuming them.
There are alternatives to unnatural food colors that you can use in your food. To get a bright white, you can use alternatives for titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is a pigment that is used as a food additive to enhance the white color in certain foods, especially in candy. However, titanium dioxide increases your risk of cancer, genetic disorders and harms the linking of your stomach. Instead, you can use alternatives that use starch and mineral-based solutions.
- Contributes toUnhealthy Eating Habits
Unnatural food colors used in junks and other food items mainly attract kids. In fact, over the last 50 years, the consumption of artificial food dyes has increased by 500%, mainly in children. Artificial colors are found mostly in processed junk foods that are high in calories but low in nutritional value.
Food colors that are found in overly processed foods play a major role in drawing children and adults away from nutritious foods. The chemically derived colors that are food in food are used to pretend that the food is real food. The unnatural food colors are used to increase the appeal of cheap food options that have no nutritional value. And the mass appeal of these products is geared towards children.
These foods are filled with empty calories that create negative eating habits for children and adults. You should avoid these calorie-laden processed foods choose whole foods. Instead of reaching for a bag of bright orange chips, opt for an apple, carrots, or other real foods. Mind your health and that of your loved ones by avoiding foods with artificial food coloring.
