Food colouring

A food coloring (colouring) is any substance that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking.
People associate certain colors with certain flavors, and the color of food can influence the perceived flavor, in anything from candy to wine. For this reason, food manufacturers add dyes to their products. Sometimes the aim is to simulate a color that is perceived by the consumer as natural, such as adding red coloring to glacé cherries.

While most consumers are aware that food with bright or unnatural colors (such as the green ketchup mentioned above or children's cereals such as Froot Loops) likely contain food coloring, far fewer people know that seemingly "natural" foods such as oranges and salmon are sometimes also dyed to mask natural variations in colour. Colour variation in foods throughout the seasons and the effects of processing and storage often make color addition commercially advantageous to maintain the color expected or preferred by the consumer. Some of the primary reasons include:

-Offsetting color loss due to light, air, extremes of temperature, moisture, and storage conditions.
-Masking natural variations in color.
-Enhancing naturally occurring colors.
-Providing identity to foods.
-Protecting flavors and vitamins from damage by light.
-Decorative or artistic purposes such as cake icing.

Though past research showed no correlation between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and food dyes, new studies now point to synthetic preservatives and artificial coloring agents as aggravating ADD & ADHD symptoms, both in those affected by these disorders and in the general population. Older studies were inconclusive quite possibly due to inadequate clinical methods of measuring offending behavior. Parental reports were more accurate indicators of the presence of additives than clinical tests. Several major studies show academic performance increased and disciplinary problems decreased in large non-ADD student populations when artificial ingredients, including artificial colors, were eliminated from school food programs.
Norway banned all products containing coal tar and coal tar derivatives in 1978. New legislation lifted this ban in 2001 after EU regulations. As such, many FD&C approved colorings have been banned.

-Tartrazine causes hives in less than 0.01% of those exposed to it
-Erythrosine is linked to thyroid tumors in rats.
-Cochineal, also known as carmine, is derived from insects and therefore is neither vegan nor vegetarian. It has also been known to cause severe, even life-threatening, allergic reactions in rare cases.