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  TARTRAZINEBackgroundThe use of artificial color in food has a long history. In the 18th and 19th centuries, both “unnatural” color and vegetable extracts were used in foods. Sweets, for example, were colored with lead chromate, mercuric sulfide, lead oxide and copper arsenite. Legislation and the newly developed chemically synthesised dyes eliminated the use of these metallic compounds. The synthetic dyes were much brighter, cheaper, more uniform, more stable (in their reactions to high processing temperatures, acids, carbon dioxide, storage and light) and more potent (i.e., less could be used to gain the same effect) than anything seen before, and offered a wider range of shades, so they had great advantages over natural dyes as well. As the use of new dyes became more popular, their toxic properties also became apparent. Since that time, there has been an increase in synthetic dye use, but we have also become even more aware of toxicity.1Tartrazine is a monoazo dye, derived from coal tar. Azo dyes are a large category of colorings used in food and cosmetics and include Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow FCF, Carmoisine, Amaranth, Ponceau, Erythrosine, Carmine, and Brilliant Blue FCF. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye that is commercially available in the form of a sodium salt. Tartrazine is soluble in water, a property conferred by sulfonic acid groups.1 Tartrazine is also available as the water-insoluble Aluminium Lake.2 Some food products contain very little free water, making it difficult to dissolve the color. In these cases the insoluble lakes are used, with the color absorbed onto a hydrated alumina substrate. To ensure the absence of speckling, the powdered lake is milled down to a particle size of around 1µm. The intensity of the color, obtained from a certain amount of a lake color increases as the particle size is reduced.1 Tartrazine appears reddish at alkaline Ph.2 Tartrazine is stable to heat and light and has an ADI (Adequate Daily Intake) of 7.5mg/kg body weight. USES: Tartrazine is used to give foods a lemon-yellow color, particularly those foods with lemon and lime flavours. It is generally used in combination with other colors, such as blue (to yield various shades of green).2 Tartrazine is widely used for coloring drinks, foods, drugs and cosmetics, for identification purposes and simply to produce an attractive appearance. The content of tartrazine in one tablet may vary from 0.02mg to 2.5mg, while 250ml of soft drink may contain from 0.8mg to 8.0mg tartrazine.2,3 High concentrations are used in snack foods such as sweets, to create bright colors to make them more appealing to children. The foods in which tartrazine is typically used include baked goods, cereals, soft drinks, canned foods, ice cream and other frozen desserts, other desserts, sweets and confectionery, pickles, sauces and seasonings.2 One of the most popular uses of food colors is in fruit containing products. Canned peas, for example can be colored with a mixture of Food Green S and tartrazine. The brown color of chocolate and caramel products can be obtained by color mixtures, which can include tartrazine.1 The dye is added to drugs in both solid and liquid preparations, including commonly prescribed drugs as well as non-prescription drugs. Examples are nutritional supplements, antihistamines, antibiotics, analgesics, antidepressants, oral contraceptives and sedatives.2,4 Azo dyes are also widely used in the textile, printing and paper manufacturing industries,5 as well as in laboratories as either biological stains or pH indicators.6
ProblemsAdverse reactions (by Karen du Plessis, registered dietitian):
Some experts suggest that additives (including tartrazine) do not cause any adverse reactions. Some of the suggested effects of tartrazine are controversial. This is mainly because of the limited number of studies done and the variation in the methodology used. Adverse reactions to tartrazine are considered to be due to an intolerance or sensitivity, which is dose-related. The amount of tartrazine required to produce reactions in susceptible persons varies from 0.85ug to 25mg. It is estimated that the average daily consumption of dyes is 15mg, about 85% of which is tartrazine.2 The most common manifestation of tartrazine sensitivity is urticaria (hives) and, to a lesser extent, angioedema (localised swelling). Evidence also suggests that chronic urticaria may be caused by tartrazine.2 Tartrazine has been implicated in hyperactivity, concentration difficulties and learning difficulties in children.7 Whether or not this is true is controversial and yet to be proven. There have been many conflicting results in studies.8 For further details read more in Allergy Advisor Educational Review: Food Problems: The appearance of new food colors are unlikely, due to the ever-increasing costs of safety testing. Test must be done to ensure that not only the food color itself, but also any impurities that arise do not cause death or disease. Impurities that might arise during manufacturing, and breakdown products that might arise during food processing, cooking or digestion have to be cleared.1
Food AlertsSouth Africa is busy finalising their new labelling regulations, which will include sections on both allergens and hidden allergens in food. EU - New labelling laws: Labelling exceptions will no longer be accepted for allergens. Previously, it was possible to declare ingredients only as a general category (e.g., “vegetable oil”), whereas the new rules will require the source to be indicated for all allergenic ingredients: for example, “peanut oil” must be specified. Similarly, the source of a natural flavour such as a nut will have to be indicated, whereas it is currently acceptable to use only the words “natural flavour”.11 Alcoholic beverages were previously exempt from ingredient labelling. The new rules will require all ingredients appearing on the list of allergens be declared. For example, sulphite present in wines will have to be indicated. Sulphites are additives used as preservatives in many foodstuffs, including wine, beer and cider. Many people suffer from intolerance to sulphites, with symptoms such as asthma attacks that may have serious health effects.11
TrendsConsumers are constantly looking for more value-added products, and a better variety. Consumers want food products that are quick and easy to prepare, but they still often like to participate in the cooking process. Attractive new products vary from peeled and cut vegetables to marinated meat. The possibilities appear endless. Special opportunities in this more health-conscious but busier age lie in the need for healthier foods to be available as convenience foods. Despite all the advantages of value-added foods, there are also a few disadvantages that the food industry should keep in mind. With every addition of an “extra” ingredient to a commodity food, the allergenicity risk of the food product is increased, and the number of people the product is suitable for is reduced. For example, in battered fish, egg and wheat are often ingredients of the batter. This will prevent an egg- or wheat-allergic individual from purchasing this product. Individuals who are sensitive or believe they are sensitive to additives or preservatives as well as individuals who are simply following a fad, may avoid all foods to which such substances have been added. If allergens or additives are present in the product, it must be labeled correctly to protect the consumer. On the other hand, these circumstances present a great opportunity to develop value-added foods that are suitable for allergic or food-sensitive individuals, who make up increasing percentages of the populations of industrialized and even developing countries. The accommodation of allergies and intolerances is an area of food developing and marketing that has barely started.
New Products
Journal Articles The role of natural color additives in food allergy The role of natural color additives in food allergy Development of hazard analysis by critical control points (HACCP) procedures to control organic chemical hazards in the agricultural producttion of raw food commodities Development of hazard analysis by critical control points (HACCP) procedures to control organic chemical hazards in the agricultural production of raw food commodities. Avoidance of hidden allergens in processed foods: a challenge for food chemists and manufacturers
Compiled by Maritza van DykFACTS REFERENCES |
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