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Review
. 2019 Jan 2;24(1):154.
doi: 10.3390/molecules24010154.

Green Natural Colorants

Isabel Viera  1 , Antonio Pérez-Gálvez  2 , María Roca  3
Affiliations
Review

Green Natural Colorants

Isabel Viera et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Although there is no legal and clear definition of the term "natural food colorant", the market trends, and consequently industrial and commercial interest, have turned to foods with added natural pigments. This progressive substitution of artificial colorants has faced chemical complications with some colors, with a lack of stable green hues being one of them. Several strategies have been applied for green color stabilization in processed foods, from the formation of metallochlorophylls to the microencapsulation of green pigments. However, at present, the utilization of green coloring foodstuffs, which are considered an ingredient in the EU, seems to be the more successful solution for the market. Besides those topics, the present review aims to clarify the current confusion between the different chlorophyll compounds that form part of the authorized green food colorants. In this sense, legislations from different countries are compared. Finally, and in line with current concerns, the knowledge gathered so far in relation to the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of all green natural food colorants is reviewed.

Keywords: ADME; absorption; chlorophyllin; chlorophylls; coloring foodstuff; copper-chlorophyll; food colors; green colorant; natural colorants; zinc-chlorophylls.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scheme of the natural green colorant manufacture process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Structures of green S and fast green FCF.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chlorophyll skeleton with the different substituents.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Chlorophyll derivatives present in the colorant E140i or “chlorophyll”.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Chlorophyll derivatives present in the colorant E140ii or “chlorophyllins”.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Chlorophyll derivatives present in the colorant E141i or “copper-chlorophylls”.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Chlorophyll derivatives present in the colorant E141ii or “copper-chlorophyllins”.
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References

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