Food Color by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Information on food colorings

Since many artificial colors have potential health problems, natural food colors are becoming more popular. Betanin, bixin, chlorophyll, ß-carotene, lycopene and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, alone and in combination, are inhibitors of lipid peroxidation, cyclooxygenase enzymes and human tumor cell proliferation. The pigments are isolated from beetroot, annetto seeds, spinach, carrot, tomatoes and cherries, respectively. For information on food additives.

Beetroot food color
Beetroot contains water-soluble betacyanins such as betanin, which contribute to the red color, and has been used as a traditional folk medicine and natural food color.

Annetto seeds
Annetto seeds have a natural color in the carotenoid family called bixin

Synthetic food colors
Food colorings -- sunset yellow (E110), found in fruity drinks; carmoisine (E122), a red coloring often added to jams; ponceau 4R (E124), a red food coloring; tartrazine (E102), found in lollipops and carbonated drinks; quinoline yellow (E104), a food coloring; and allura red AC (E129), and orange-red food dye.

Red 2G (E128) dye
July 2007 - Britain's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has asked food producers to stop using a food coloring used in sausages and burgers.  The dye, Red 2G (E128) may cause cancer in animals. Laboratory tests carried out by the European Food Safety Authority showed Red 2G (E128) dye damages the genetic material in cells and cause cancer in animals.