Stability and use of natural colours in foods Red beet powder, copper chlorophyll powder and cochineal

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary: Three natural pigments – red beet powder, chlorophyll powder (in the form of a copper complex) and aqueous cochineal – were examined in order to understand better their behaviour or colouring ability in different model systems. All were heat labile but red beet colour in particular was rapidly degraded above about 14°C. Cochineal proved the most stable of the three colours. All were adversely affected by changes in pH and a reduction in water activity gave a corresponding increase in stability for each colour. Light was similarly shown to cause degradation of the natural colours. The colours were used in food products and shown to have certain applications with regard to the colour of jam and restoring the colour of peas after blanching.