Natural and Artificial Food Coloring additives, whether in Liquid, Powder, Gel, or in Paste form, are a Dyes, Pigments, or substance that imparts Color when added to Food or Drink and are used both in Commercial Food Production and in Domestic Cooking. Non-food applications include Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Home crafts, and Medical Devices to enrich Natural Colors, to make them more attractive/ appealing/appetizing/ informative, etc., or to offset color loss from exposure to Light / Air / Extreme Temperature / Moisture, Storage Conditions. Colors also help consumers Identify Products on sight (Candy Flavors / Medicine Dosages), protect Flavors and Vitamins from damage by Light, and increase appeal thus making unattractive Food desirable.

Seven Synthetic Food Dyes in the US and thirty-six Natural & Synthetic Food Dyes approved as Food Additives in the EU have had specific FD & C and E numbers allotted to them in USA & European Union respectively.

Declaration on Color additions plus their common name or Version – I class name is required to be made on the product label in India. The Seven Synthetic colors permitted for use in India are: Ponceau 4R, Carnosine, Erythrosine (all Red), Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow (both Yellow) Indigo Carmine, Brilliant Blue (both Blue), Fast Green FCF (Green).

EFRAC undertakes Testing of all kind of Artificial/Synthetic & Natural Food Colors.