Amaranth as a supplier of natural food colors – healing practice

Amaranth as a substitute for artificial food colouring

artificial food coloring in foods have been linked to numerous health problems in several studies. Some dyes are said to reduce risk, among other things hyperactivity, allergies And Krebs increase. amaranth it could serve as a natural alternative, according to a recent study.

researchers of University of Illinois found in a recent study that the red dye Betalain, which can be obtained from amaranth, is suitable as a natural food colouring. The research results were recently published in the journal “Frontiers in plant science” submitted.

Potential hazards from artificial dyes

A recent study showed that Allura red AC food coloring (E129) a potential trigger of chronic bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease And Ulcerative colitis (see: E129 food coloring can cause inflammatory bowel disease).

Other research has linked food coloring to an increased risk of hyperactivity in children, allergies And some types of cancer connected. With that in mind, it makes sense to start thinking about natural alternatives to artificial food colors.

Amaranth is a good source of red color pigments

According to the University of Illinois working group, amaranth plants are a good source of red pigment. In 48 different amaranth varieties, the team discovered several promising candidates that could be used in the food industry.

“Our work serves as a comprehensive review of plant amaranth to determine the hue, concentration, and chemical structure diversity of magenta dyes”explains the study’s lead author Jay Howard. According to him, the study results provide a solid basis for the commercial use of the natural coloring agent in the food industry.

The dyes are stable for weeks

The 48 selected amaranth varieties cover the entire leaf color spectrum, from deep burgundy to lime green. The color pigments were extracted from the stem and leaf tissue.

“We created a chemical profile for each extract by looking at the ratio of dominant pigments”adds the study co-author Chance Riggins. Some of the excerpts are stable for days or even weeks without fading.

This is especially important for industry, as a natural dye that turns brown after just one day would be unusable for mass production.

Until now, betalin was obtained from beets

Betalain is already known as a natural dye. Currently it is mainly obtained from beets. According to the working group, however, beets are problematic as a source of betalin, as the earthy flavors of the beetroot are often transferred to the product with the coloring agent. Most amaranth extracts, however, were odorless and tasteless.

Another advantage of amaranth over beets is that the plant is very hardy and can therefore be grown under less favorable conditions than beets.

Approval shouldn’t be a problem

“Amaranth is already approved by the FDA for food use and may also be approved as a natural food color under these guidelines”Riggins insists. Currently, the plant is mainly used as a gluten-free alternative to cereals cultivated.

Amaranth suitable as a supplier of natural dyes

“The move away from synthetic ingredients requires a broad range of natural options to enable the food industry to achieve the hue and stability of synthetic colors at an effective cost of ownership”Howard clarified.

“Amaranth is an interesting crop that meets all these needs: it is scalable, resistant, rich in antioxidants and produces impressive biomass yields”, summarizes the author of the study. (vb)