The Color War: Synthetic vs. Natural Food Colors

Written by Dr. Swati Tiwari, Ph.D. in Food Science and Nutrition

You might be fascinated by the red-orange glow of chili potatoes or Manchurian gravies. Often, in packaged foods, you might have noticed a list of ingredients indicating E numbers or INS numbers (like INS 102 or E102). Let me tell you that the bright, fiery red color of street foods doesn’t come from chilies but from added synthetic food colors. These numbers on packaged foods also indicate the presence of synthetic food color additives.

So yes, these are the artificial colors that make your food look appealing. But watch out, those fake colors might be the troublemakers that can mess with your health later on!

They’re super bright and flashy, and at the same time, impossible to ignore! You’ll find them nearly everywhere: in gummies, cakes, sodas, even kids’ snacks.

But these bright folks have a dark side too. They might make sensitive kids impulsive (causing hyperactivity-like reactions), trigger mild allergic symptoms, or even mess with your liver and kidneys. Some have shown potential carcinogenic effects (mostly in animal studies).

Let’s understand the science behind synthetic color preparation. The basic compounds for synthetic colors are derived from petroleum. Yes, the same stuff that fuels your bike or car!

Scientists use chemical processes to create super bright colors like red, yellow, and orange. Then, they purify these compounds to make them safe to eat. The processed colors are turned into powders or liquids that end up in your candies, gummies, jellies, sodas, snacks that basically every processed food you love.

1. It starts with crude oil/petroleum. Yes, really!
2. Creation of azo bonds (–N=N–), which give the bright color- color chemistry magic, you could say
3. Removal of unwanted by-products to make it food-safe
4. Converted to powder, paste, or liquid form
5. Ready to color your food

• Hyperactivity or attention issues in children
• Liver/kidney damage
• Allergic reactions like skin rashes or asthma
• Bioaccumulation in the body
• Some breakdown products of synthetic colors may cause cancer

When it comes to coloring food naturally, Mother Nature has nearly all the shades we want. Natural colors can be derived from real stuff like fruits, veggies, and flowers.

Want red? Just ask beetroot.
Yellow? Turmeric or annatto is the answer.
Green? Spinach, matcha, and spirulina have got enough.
Let’s not forget orange because orange carrots won’t calm down.
What about blue and purple? Black grapes, black carrots, blueberries, and blackberries are already here.

In fact, many flowers like hibiscus, marigold, and butterfly pea flower can also be used as sources of natural colors.

1. Smoothies – Add as natural juices or fruit powders
2. Frosting, Icing, Fondants – Use fruit/veggie juices or powders in buttercream
3. Pasta or Dough – Add purées to homemade pasta, bread, or pancake batter
4. Yogurt or Ice Cream – Mix in natural fruit powders, chunks, or juice
5. Colorful Rice – Cook rice with turmeric, beet, or butterfly pea water for a rainbow plate
6. Dips – Add natural colors to make them more kid-friendly

Absolutely! Due to growing consumer demand for healthier ingredients and rising concerns about the safety of synthetic dyes, the food industry is changing.

Big food giants like Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, PepsiCo, and Mars are finally saying “bye-bye fake colors.” They’re removing artificial colors from products like cereals, candies, and snacks.

• Nestlé plans to replace Red 40 and Yellow 5 with natural options such as annatto and natural vanilla. In fact, they recently announced they’ll phase out all synthetic dyes from their U.S. food and beverage portfolio by mid-2026.
• General Mills and Kraft Heinz have also pledged to go fully “no-fake-color” and are following a “remove–replace–reinvent” strategy using colorants like turmeric and paprika.
• PepsiCo plans to remove artificial colors from brands like Lay’s and Tostitos by the end of 2025.

• Ching’s Secret (from Tata Consumer Products) is working to swap out artificial colors with natural ones—thanks to Tata’s clean-label push. Products like schezwan sauce are already being reformulated.
• Vadilal, known for ice creams and frozen desserts, launched its “Gourmet Natural Tub” range in 2021, focusing on traditional flavors like kesar and gulab jamun using natural colorants like saffron.
• Other organic processors and leading brands are also embracing natural colorants in products like ice creams, sauces, snacks, and spices.
• Even fast food chains are now offering items without synthetic dyes especially in kids’ meals.

Your liver is your body’s detox system. When you consume synthetic colors, your liver works overtime to metabolize and detoxify them. Some of these compounds generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), harmful free radicals that can cause inflammation and liver dysfunction.

Occasional exposure is generally considered safe. But frequent consumption, especially from heavily processed foods, can lead to accumulation of synthetic colors in your body, increasing long-term health risks.

Tip:

• Always read ingredient labels before buying processed foods
• Avoid eye-catching, glowing foods from local street vendors where the source of color is unknown