{"id":19193,"date":"2019-11-27T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T18:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=19193"},"modified":"2023-05-22T18:06:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T01:06:51","slug":"safe-food-coloring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/safe-food-coloring\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Your Own Safe Food Coloring at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laura Newcomer, originally published on Fix.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine birthday cakes without colorful writing, vibrant flowers, or other exciting designs. But the colors in our cakes, candies, and other popular foods may not be as innocuous as their pretty exteriors would lead us to believe.<\/p>\n

Research suggests<\/a> that synthetic food coloring may harm human health in a variety of ways. But in spite of the risk factors, these colorants are cropping up in more foods than ever before. Although they provide no nutritional value, they\u2019re added<\/a> to a wide range of foods to intensify color or give those foods the color people expect to see. (For example, boxed cake batters may be dyed yellow to look like they\u2019re made from real eggs<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

With a little effort, you can avoid synthetic food coloring. Here\u2019s why you may choose to ditch artificial colorants, how to avoid them, and how to make your own safe, natural food colorings at home.<\/p>\n

The Potential Risks of Food Dye and Where It\u2019s Hiding<\/h2>\n

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Scientists are still researching and debating the effects and potential risks of food dyes on human health. A large number of dyes (91 to be exact) were once approved<\/a> by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but have since been banned<\/a> after negative effects were discovered in lab tests. Given that food dyes are synthesized from coal tar or petroleum, it\u2019s not surprising that they\u2019re not ideal for human health.<\/p>\n

Even dyes currently approved by the FDA may have adverse effects. One study found that each of the nine U.S.-approved food dyes was associated<\/a> with health risks. For example, Red 3 was found to cause cancer in animals, while Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 may be contaminated with carcinogens. Overall, the study concluded:<\/p>\n

“The inadequacy of much of the testing and the evidence for carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and hypersensitivity, coupled with the fact that dyes do not improve the safety or nutritional quality of foods, indicates that all of the currently used dyes should be removed from the food supply and replaced, if at all, by safer colorings.”<\/i><\/p>\n

Additional research has found that approved food dyes may also be associated<\/a> with adrenal and kidney issues, as well as allergic reactions, hyperactivity, and behavioral problems in children. Further complicating things is the fact that many products contain<\/a> levels of food dye high enough to be considered harmful, even if the dye isn\u2019t thought to be dangerous in smaller quantities. Given that Americans today consume<\/a> five times (15 million pounds per year) the amount of food dye that we did in 1955, it\u2019s clear that more research is needed to determine the cumulative effects on both children and adults.<\/p>\n

So why are we eating so much food dye? It\u2019s partly because we eat more processed foods overall and also because food colorants have snuck<\/a> into more foods. No longer found in just candy, food dye is used to color a wide range of items including flavored yogurt, sports drinks, breakfast cereals, baked goods, ice cream<\/a>, flavored applesauce, pudding, cake and bread mixes, salsa, boxed food mixes, smoked salmon, cheese<\/a>, pickles, salad dressing, and hot sauce. One study found<\/a> that 90% of supermarket food products marketed to kids contain artificial food colors. Perhaps surprisingly, food dyes are found outside of food aisles. They\u2019re also used<\/a> in some body care products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and vitamins.<\/p>\n

How to Avoid Foods with Artificial Food Dyes<\/h2>\n

If food dye exists in such a huge variety of foods, how does one go about avoiding it? Luckily, it is possible to ditch artificial food colorants. While it can take some effort, there are several potential upsides. Not only will you sidestep any negative health effects<\/a> of the dyes themselves, but you\u2019re also likely to eat fewer processed and\/or high-sugar foods.<\/p>\n

How to Make Your Own Natural Food Coloring<\/h2>\n

A surefire way to avoid artificial food dyes is to make your own natural versions. There are tons of different ingredients you can use to make food dyes and plenty of recipes online to suit your specific project\u2019s needs. Here are a few great ideas to get started.<\/p>\n

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Blue and Purple Food Coloring<\/h3>\n

These colors are notoriously difficult to achieve, even for makers of synthetic food coloring. Your best option is to work with red cabbage or radicchio. Per the instructions at Whole New Mom<\/a>, start by washing and chopping the cabbage (or radicchio); put the cabbage in a pot, cover with water, and simmer on the stovetop for 10 minutes. This process will leave you with a purple liquid. Use it as-is if you want a purple color, or add \u00bd teaspoon increments of baking soda until the liquid becomes a bright blue. (Baking soda will affect the flavor of the coloring, so use as little as possible to reach the desired color.) Other options include blueberry<\/a> juice and concentrated purple grape juice; these are likely to be more purple than blue.<\/p>\n

Green Food Coloring<\/h3>\n

Spinach is a popular option for any recipes requiring a green hue. Most recipes call for juicing it, but it also imparts color<\/a> if you toss a few whole leaves into the batter of whatever you\u2019re making. Other options for green food coloring include liquid chlorophyll (find it at your nearest health food store), matcha powder, spirulina powder (also sold at health food stores), wheatgrass juice, and parsley juice.<\/p>\n

Pink and Red Food Coloring<\/h3>\n

When it comes to dyeing foods pink and\/or red, most sources<\/a> agree that beets<\/a> are the best option. They\u2019re simple enough to incorporate into recipes as a dye: simply use some of the liquid from canned beets, or boil or juice raw beets and use the resulting liquid. If you opt for the liquid from boiled beets<\/a>, bring the beets to a boil before reducing the heat and simmer until the beets are tender; use the remaining liquid as a dye. Pomegranate juice or the liquid strained from pulverized raspberries are also good options, but they\u2019re more likely to change the flavor of the recipe than beets.<\/p>\n

Yellow and Orange Food Coloring<\/h3>\n

Golden beets and\/or turmeric<\/a> serve nicely as the basis for yellow food coloring. To make, follow these instructions from Studio DIY<\/a>: Peel and dice the beet, then mix with \u00bc cup of water and a teaspoon or two of turmeric. Soften the beets by microwaving the mixture for approximately 30 seconds; blend, strain, and use the resulting liquid as your dye. The juice from pulverized mangoes and saffron are also good options. If you choose saffron, be careful not to overpower other flavors in the dish. If you\u2019re going for a slightly more orange hue, you can\u2019t go wrong with carrot juice.<\/p>\n

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Experimenting with Safe Food Coloring<\/h2>\n

As you experiment with natural food colorings, there are a few things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n