Natural dyes, derived from plants, products, spices and minerals, have not been examined as closely by researchers for their impact on health or the potential for contamination, according to experts. They are not subject to the same strict either Test requirements as synthetic dyes. This has raised concerns among some food experts and consumer defenders concerning the involuntary consequences of this change – and if it will make food safer and healthier.
“The important thing to remember with all colors, whether natural or synthetic, is that they are nothing more than marketing tools for food companies, to make food appear in a certain way,” said Thomas Galligan, a toxicologist who works for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a plea group. “In the end, they are not strictly necessary. And it is therefore important to weigh the risk against the advantage. ”
Eric Atkinson says He never thought that synthetic dyes were dangerous. But when he read the lists of ingredients from his business’s candies, which his family has been doing since the great depression, they have always struck it as if off.
About 12 years ago, the company finally decided to jump. “We were so close to being all natural or simple ingredients that we were going forward and went there,” he said.
It knew how essential it was to ensure that the color is correct for chick-stick, the most recognizable product of the company. All packaging for candies imitate the color of the product, which ATKINSON describes as “amber”.
“They say in industry that the taste is king, but the color is queen,” he said. “The queen is very important.”
Working with food scientists for tincture manufacturers, the company’s quality control team began to test mixtures of natural dyes to reproduce the signature shade of Chick-O-Stick. After years of testing, they proposed a combination of turmeric dyes and vegetable juice – first beets before settling on radish. But they later discovered that the color was in the LED light. This year, they went to Annatto again, a popular natural dye made from the seeds of the embittered tree.
Another surprise was the funky smell that came from some of the natural colors. Atkinson remembers a particularly spicy dye based on red cabbage that felt rotten garbage, although the smell quickly dissipated when the candies reached the cooking step, where it is heated to more than 300 degrees.
It was not the end of the challenges. Unlike synthetic dyes, which are easily produced in American laboratories, ingredients that form natural dyes are frequently imported. This introduces a multitude of complexities, including logistics, costs and product safety problems.
In March 2021, a container ship remained stuck in the Suez Canal, making the headlines around the world. He also created a new headache for Atkinson: the ship was carrying the radishes used to create the color of Chick-O-Stick at the time, sending the business to rush for alternatives.
Even without these obstacles, it can be difficult to find enough raw materials for natural dyes. There is a considerable amount of seasonal cultivated products – whether radishes, red cabbage, blueberries or golden beets – to make colors from fruits and vegetables. Carmine, a vibrating red dye, is made from insects living in the cactus in Central and South America; 70,000 of these insects are required to create a little more than 2 pounds of coloring.
The challenges of supply often mean higher prices: a large manufacturer of dyes recently estimated These natural dyes cost about 10 times more than synthetic versions.
And then it can be to convince consumers. Although the color and appearance of chick-stick remained the same, not everyone was happy with the new formulation of a classic candy.
“We had a lot of hindsight when we went to natural colors,” said Atkinson. “Most of the comments we obtained were:” Stop changing our chick-O-Stick “.”
However, sales remained stable, said Atkinson.
