Artificial Pigmentation Alternatives

Pamela Denish, a graduate student in UC Davis' Innovation Institute for Food and Health, has discovered a natural blue pigmentation alternative in red cabbage. The color blue is so rarely found in nature due to its complex molecular structure, that artificially made pigmentations of this kind are most commonly used. Denish and her colleagues' discovery comes at a time when synthetic food dyes, which are typically made from petrochemicals, are raising concerns about their environmental impact and safety as a food additive.

While the blue pigment in red cabbage is only found in small quantities, researchers found that larger quantities can be made by treating the dominant red-colored anthocyanins with a specially designed enzyme to turn them blue. The natural blue dye is still undergoing tests before being used for food production but has so far been used to color blue ice cream, doughnut icing, and sugar-coated lentils.

Photo Credits: designboom

Image Credit: Designboom