The shift from artificial to natural ingredients is a rising trend in the food industry. One major segment in the natural additive industry is colorants. However, studies have shown that natural coloring agents tend to degrade, or fade out, more rapidly than their synthetic counterparts when exposed to light, air, changes in pH, and heat. Thus, finding a way to increase the shelf life of natural colorants is of significant interest. This study seeks to determine if the addition of metal salts and/or anoxic conditions are effective methods of color stabilization in aqueous beverage products containing red food dyes. The specific dyes of interest are synthetically derived allura red AC (Red 40) and naturally derived betanin and carminic acid. The results of this study aim to compare the relative stabilities of three commonly used red dyes with assorted structure, origin, and hue in both aqueous solution and a simulated-beverage system. UV-Vis Spectroscopy and kinetic analysis are used to determine the rates and reaction orders by which each dye molecule degrades.<br/>

Effects of metal salts and anoxia on the photodegradation of red food dyes in solution

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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