Supplement: Why Colour Foods? Colouring Food Products with Roche Carotenoids.

Abstract

Nature is arrayed in the full spectrum of colours. A life without colour would be impossible to imagine.



Man lives with colour, and colour is part of his daily life. This applies also to his eating habits, and it is legitimate to say that man eats not only with his mouth but with his eyes as well. Natural, living colours stimulate the appetite and digestion, and increase the pleasure of eating. It is no accident that saffron, extracts of berries, and other naturally occurring food colours have for centuries been used all over the world for preparing food.



Today, the food industry is the kitchen of the world. It has revolutionised nutrition. Never before have standards of purity, stability, and physiological harmlessness been as high as they are today. New raw materials and new methods of refining and preserving, however, often alter the natural appearance of fresh foods. The natural colours of food must be restored to them if they are to be not merely nutritious but appetising as well.



The Journal of Food Technology in Africa Volume 5 Number 2 (April - June 2000), pp. 43-46