Food and Colors

I read an interesting article today, and here's what i learnt from it.. I'll keep my comments till the end though :)

(You can find the original article at: http://colormatters.com/news_fall_06/focus.html )


- color is a powerful psychological component of visual experiences. The visual cues of color can convince us that a product performs in a specific way and that it's fresh

- Margarine is dyed yellow to make it resemble butter. But in Quebec the law requires that margarine be white (its natural color).

- Since the pink color of meat indicats freshness, the meat industry has started spiking fresh meat with small (and harmless) amounts of carbon monoxide, which helps the meat retain a pink, "fresh" color for weeks. Consumer groups in the U.S. are protesting because the treatment could keep meat looking fresh beyond when it actually is – and this could lead to the consumption of spoiled meat. Also, there's the issue of labeling this meat as being treated with color.

- a similar deal with salmon, since wild salmon is vivid pink and farm raised salmon is gray. salmon farmers can feed farmed fish the chemicals canthaxanthin and astaxanthin. Some say the additives are safe; others disagree.

- the glowing pinks, reds and purples of port wine cheese, cherries, pink grapefruit juice and strawberry milk-shakes may be the result of carmine (an additive that may cause allergic reactions) or cochineal (crushed beetle juice). The Food and Drug Administration (US.) is considering a regulation that requires a label disclosing that the product contains an additive made out of bugs.

- there are new colors and pigments used to coat medications producing sparkly metallic, satiny and shimmery finishes by coating the mineral mica with either titanium dioxide or iron oxide, or both. The agency claims, "There is no toxic potential when ingested at levels estimated by the agency." They also want to use these colors in food now!
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If this is happening in "the West", what are we (3rd world residents) facing?.. a lot more i guess :)

and then we wonder why people's health is getting worse; the cancers, the abortions, ...

On second thought, would u stop drinking your strawberry milkshake if u knew there are crushed beetles in it?.. hmm.. as someone i know used to say.. "eish feeha?.. protein" :P