Food’s visual appeal, including colours and presentation, attracts consumers, prompting manufacturers to use techniques such as food dyes for attractiveness.
Food dyes or colours, are substances used to add or restore colour in food.
They’ve been in use originally from natural sources such as fruits and roots (plants) which include turmeric and beetroot.
Today we have synthetic food colours as well, which are lab-made, like tartrazine, sunset yellow, indigo carmine.
They are used for drinks, meats and other food items to make them look fresh and visually appealing.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in every country is responsible for ensuring the safety of consumed products, including food dyes and what is legal or illegal differs from country to country.
The US Food and Drugs Administration and European Food Safety Authority have concluded that the synthetic dyes pose no significant health risks and have therefore, approved some, like tartrazine, allura red and erthrosine.
Green No.3 is approved in the US, but banned in Europe.
Meanwhile, Ghana FDA has approved some food dyes like tartrazine and sunset yellow.
According to their research, over 60 per cent of food colouring used in local markets is unregistered or improperly labelled, raising safety concerns.
“I use food colour for my beef and pork to attract buyers”, Maa Gina, a meat seller, said. “A lot of buyers prefer coloured meat.
Even for pepper, not all kinds give the reddish colour when it is ground, so food colour is added”.
“I use food colours in my bread for variety,” Sylvester Larbi, a baker, said.
“I check the expiry date a lot for safety sake, and I also measure to use the right amount”.
Sarah Afloe, a consumer, shares her insight, “I’ve seen a pepper seller add grated cola nut and avocado seed to a small quantity of pepper before grinding and it was alarming”.
“Both types of food dyes need to be taken in moderation, especially the synthetic one,” Naomi Agyemang, a dietician from Mama Nutri Consult, said.
“The synthetic can cause a lot of complications such as kidney and lung failure. It can also cause allergic reactions such as rashes and also hyperactivity in children”.
Prioritise health over colour, choose natural food colours but consume both types in moderation.
Priscilla Ayekuor Narh,
Student, UNIMAC
