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"WASHINGTON ? Without the artificial coloring FD&C Yellow No. 6, Cheetos
Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks would look like the shriveled larvae of a
large insect. Not surprisingly, in taste tests, people derived little
pleasure from eating them.
William Duke
Related
Artificial Dye Safe to Eat, Panel Says (April 1, 2011)
F.D.A. Panel to Consider Warnings for Artificial Food Colorings (March
30, 2011)
William Duke
Their fingers did not turn orange. And their brains did not register much
cheese flavor, even though the Cheetos tasted just as they did with food
coloring.
?People ranked the taste as bland and said that they weren?t much fun to
eat,? said Brian Wansink, a professor at Cornell University and director
of the university?s Food and Brand Lab.
Naked Cheetos would not seem to have much commercial future. Nor might
some brands of pickles. The pickling process turns them an unappetizing
gray. Dye is responsible for their robust green. Gummi worms without
artificial coloring would look, like, well, muddily translucent worms.
Jell-O would emerge out of the refrigerator a watery tan.
No doubt the world would be a considerably duller place without artificial
food coloring. But might it also be a safer place? The Center for Science
in the Public Interest, an advocacy group, asked the government last week
to ban artificial coloring because the dyes that are used in some foods
might worsen hyperactivity in some children.
?These dyes have no purpose whatsoever other than to sell junk food,?
Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at
New York University.
A government advisory panel concluded that there was no proof that dyes
caused problems in most children, and that whatever problems they might
cause in some children did not warrant a ban or a warning label beyond
what is already required ? a disclosure on the product label that
artificial colors are present.
?Color is such a crucial part of the eating experience that banning dyes
would take much of the pleasure out of life,? said Kantha Shelke, a food
chemist and spokeswoman for the Institute of Food Technologists. ?Would we
really want to ban everything when only a small percentage of us are
sensitive?? Indeed, color often defines flavor in taste tests. When
tasteless yellow coloring is added to vanilla pudding, consumers say it
tastes like banana or lemon pudding. And when mango or lemon flavoring is
added to white pudding, most consumers say that it tastes like vanilla
pudding. Color creates a psychological expectation for a certain flavor
that is often impossible to dislodge, Dr. Shelke said.
?Color can actually override the other parts of the eating experience,?
she said in an interview.
Even so, some food companies have expanded their processed-product
offerings to include foods without artificial colorings. You can now buy
Kool-Aid Invisible, for instance, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Organic
White Cheddar. Some grocery chains, including Whole Foods Market and
Trader Joe?s, refuse to sell foods with artificial coloring.
As yet, natural colorings have not proven to be a good alternative. They
are generally not as bright, cheap or stable as artificial colorings,
which can remain vibrant for years. Natural colorings often fade within
days.
Todd Miller, the executive pastry chef for Hello Cupcake in Washington,
said he was dedicated to simple, natural ingredients. His cakes are made
with flour and butter, and his red icing gets its color from strawberry
pur?e.
But the sprinkles that top many of his creations have colorings derived
from good old petroleum, the source of artificial colorings. And he has no
intention of changing that because the natural stuff just isn?t as
colorful.
?I could live without sprinkles, but why would I want to?? he asked.
?They?re cupcakes. They?re supposed to be fun.?
