Macro 32 Ramblings

Decorator’s
Color Wheel

In the center
are the primary colors – Red, Yellow, and Blue. From these, all others
are made.

In the inner
ring are secondary colors – orange, green, violet, made by mixing equal
amounts of primary colors. Mix red and yellow for orange, mix red and blue
for violet, and mix blue and yellow for green.

In the outer
ring are the tertiary colors – achieved by mixing varying amounts of one
primary color with the adjacent primary. Mix a large amount of red with
a small

amount of
blue and you will get a red-violet color. Do the opposite for blue-violet.
Increase or decrease amounts form many hues in between.

• Blending
  Of Colors

Color Mixing
Chart: use these variations when mixing colors.

TIPS:

1. To lighten
any color, add small amounts of white icing

2. To darken
any color, add small amounts of specified darker color of icing

3. For pastels,
add 2 parts of white icing to 1 part of any colored icing

4. For purple
icing using buttercream, the icing may have blue casts if you don’t use
milk to make your buttercream.

TIPS:

• For the deepest
  RED, use Baker’s Preferred Gel (above). You must stop 2 shades light or
  it may be too dark. This won’t taste bad since it is not necassary to add
  so much coloring.
• Always for vivid
  colors, use those with SUPER in front of the color name.
• Color your icing
  a day before using, cover and let sit. It will darken.
• Everything = black.
  The primary colors are red, blue and yellow. Equal parts of these 3 equal
  black. It will take more red because it isn’t as strong…except with Baker’s
  Preferred.
• Beware that Wilton’s
  ‘no-taste’ red is very very thin! It will thin your icing and is not best
  quality.
• Powdered colors
  are not real strong with lots of color pigment, but are great for coloring
  ANY sugar or coconut. Just add and give a few shakes!
• Powdered BROWN
  is exactly the color of chocolate. It took 2 jars for me before I got one
  batch of royal icing colored for a basketweave display cake.
• One thing about
  using powdered coloring for royal icing is, it won’t break down the icing!
• MOSS or AVACODO
  greens make more realistic leaf colors. LEAF green is good for Christmas
  green.
• GREEN: If too
  ‘yellow’ add more blue. You can do with one shade that way and not need
  all the dif. greens.
• PURPLE: If using
  purple color for buttercream icing, use milk for the liquid and your icing
  won’t fade blue as it crusts.
• Liquid Paste and
  Liquid gels are faster and easier to mix with icing. Great for leaves since
  the icing usually needs thinned some. If using this for red etc where you
  need a deep color, you may need to also add more conf. sugar to re-thicken
  your icing.

• To achieve true
  pastels, mix coloring with just a small amount of icing and add only the
  amount needed for the pastel color you are trying to get.

• NO WASTE: Put
  leftover icings in one bowl and add cocoa. Or- black/brown colorings.
For BLACK,
when you need a lot of it…first, make chocolate icing, then add black
food coloring to make it black…or almost black. Use SUPER black coloring
so you use less coloring too. *All colors = black. Primary colors all are
made from are blue, yellow and red. In equal portions of all you get black.
Since some colors may not be as strong as others, you may need to add more
of that one to get equal color.

• OTHER IDEAS:

AntiqueGold
– Add just an extremely small touch of Leaf Green to Lemon Yellow

Aqua

– 5 parts Sky Blue and 1 part Leaf Green

Avocado
– Use Moss Green paste

Blue Lavender
– Mix a small amount of Violet with white icing

BurgundyorWine
– Mix 3 small parts Blue and 1 part Red-Red. (This is very difficult color
to mix)

Chartreuse
– 9 parts Lemon Yellow & 1 part Leaf Green

Coral
– pale Watermelon makes a very attractive Coral color

Flesh
– Red and Green in white buttercream

Gray
– Add just a touch of Black to white icing

Lavender
– 6 parts pink & 1 part Violet

NavyBlue
– Mix in a large amount of Royal Blue until a deep Blue is achieved. Add
a very small amount of Black.

Peach
– Mix equal parts of Lemon Yellow and Pink

Pink Lavender
– Mix a small amount of Blue color with Pink colored icing.

Raspberry
– Mix equal parts of Pink and Red-Red. Use enough color to get a rather
deep effect.

Rust

– Mix enough Orange until a bright Orange is obtained. Add Christmas Red
until color is dark. Add a very small amount of Royal Blue.

Silver
– We do not advise attempting to simulate Silver color in icing, its just
gray. Instead add silver leaves or other silver accessories to the cake

Turquoise
– 9-1/2 parts Sky Blue & ½ part Lemon Yellow

WarmGold
– Add just a touch of Red Red to Lemon Yellow

• Using OUR Buttercream
  Icing already colored

Aqua –
1 scoop of Leaf Green and 3 scoops of Blue

Dusty Rose
– 4 scoops of Reddi Red and 1 scoop of Blue

Lavender
– 2 scoops of Pink and 1 scoop of Blue

Lilac

– 1/2 scoop of Reddi Red and 3 scoops of Pink and 2 scoops of Blue

LimeGreen
– 1 scoop of Leaf Green and 3 scoops of Yellow

Mint
– 1 scoop of Leaf Green and 1 scoop of Yellow and 2 scoops of Blue

Orange
Pastel – 3 scoops of Pink and 2 scoops of Yellow

Peach
– 2 scoops of Pink and 1 scoop of Yellow

Pistachio
– 4 scoops of Leaf Green and 1 scoop of Yellow

Salmon
– 1 scoop of Reddi Red and 6 scoops of Yellow

Sea Green
– 1 scoop of Yellow and 1 scoop of Blue

Turquoise
– 1 scoop of Leaf Green and 4 scoops of Blue

Ameri Mist Blending Hints:

Apricot – 1 part orange &
a touch of peach

Grape – 8 parts burgundy
& 3 parts royal blue

Juniper Green – 1 part forest
green & 1 part orange

Lavender – 2 parts deep pink
& 1 pt violet

Maroon – 1 part burgundy,
1 part super red & touch of royal blue

Plum – 3 parts violet &
1 part christmas red

Sea Foam Green – 2 parts
forest green & 1 part ivory

Avocado – 6 parts ivory &
touch of sky blue

Gold – 4 parts egg yellow
& 1 part chocolate brown

Khaki (Olive Green) – 3 parts
lemon yellow, 2 parts violet & touch of mint green

Moss Green – 1 part leaf
green & 1 part orange

Purple – 1 part violet &
1 part deep pink

Silver – 1 part super black,
1 part royal blue & 1 part bright white

Flesh tone – 2 parts bright
white & 1 part peach

Jade – 2 parts forest green
& 1 part leaf green

Lion Color – 5 parts egg
yellow & 1 part chocolate brown

Navy Blue – 5 parts royal
blue, 2 parts super black & 2 parts violet

Raspberry – 6 parts Deep
Pink, 1 part super red & touch of violet

Tan – 5 parts egg yellow
& 3 parts chocolate brown.

Remember if you want a deeper shade,
use more color. If you want a lighter shade, use less color. Always mix
your colors at least an hour in advance because they deepen with time.
Colors will vary depending on what type of icing or whipped topping you
use. It is suggested that you practice in a small amount of icing before
using a whole batch. These blends were created specifically for Ameri Color
Soft gel paste and Ameri Mist Airbrush colors.

Color Tips

                   
Wilton paste food color is concentrated, giving vivid or deep colors

                   
without changing consistency. Add paste color to icing, in small amounts

                   
with a clean toothpick or spatula.

                   
When making deep colors, such as black, brown, or red use Wilton

                   
paste food colors in larger amounts than normal. It can take as much as

                   
1 oz. paste food color per one cup to obtain deep colors. Deep colors

                   
are recommended for accent colors only.

                   
When icing is colored deep red, a bitter aftertaste may be detected.

                   
Red No-Taste should be used when a large portion of red coloring is

                   
used on the cake. Red No-Taste does not contain red 3 which causes

                   
the bitter taste.

                   
When white buttercream is tinted dark black, it also can have a bitter

                   
taste. Use dark chocolate icing with a small amount of black color

                   
added.

                   
Colors deepen in buttercream icings upon setting; color icing 1-2 hours

                   
before decorating. Colors fade slightly in royal, boiled or Color Flow

                   
icing as they set.

                   
Brown color occasionally has a green overtone to it. This usually occurs

                   
with the presence of acid in the icing; lemon juice or cream of tartar.

                   
Omit the acid if tinting icing brown. Also dissolving brown color in 1/4

                   
teaspoon water before adding to icing will eliminate the green tone.

                   
White-white is used for lightening icing that has been colored too dark.

                   
Also use it for making white buttercream made with butter or margarine.

                   
All deep colors in nature stain, like blueberries, but none of them are

                   
harmful. Paste colors can stain teeth and skin; however, simply washing

                   
skin area with soap and warm water will remove color. Bleach can be

                   
used on counter tops.

                   
Lukewarm water should be used first to spot stained color. Rinse

                   
thoroughly, allow to dry. If color is still visible use a commercial cleaner

                   
on garment, carpet, upholstery, etc. In the case of a color that has Red
3

                   
as an ingredient use an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice to soak stain

                   
first. Proceed with lukewarm water and then allow to dry before using a

                   
commercial cleaner.

                   
Sometimes lemon juice or cream of tartar will cause colors to change, i.

                   
e. violet will become blue. If the recipe has one of these ingredients
in it,

                   
omit it. In addition, some water (from various geographical areas) tends

                   
to cause color changes. If buttercream icing is made with water, use milk

                   
instead.

                   
Usually, “bleeding” colors on a decorated cake is a result of improper

                   
storage. It is not recommended to ice cakes while they are still frozen,
as

                   
the cake needs to “breathe” while it thaws. Allow the cake to defrost

                   
before icing to help prevent the colors from bleeding.

                   
An air tight cover on cake stored at room temperature may encourage

                   
condensation to form which can cause colors to bleed.

                   
Sunlight or fluorescent light will cause some colors to fade. After the

                   
cake is decorated, it is best to keep in a cool room and out of direct

                   
light.

Wilton Icing Color Chart

                   
When mixing color always mix a small amount of color to experiment.

                   
Start with base color and then add very small amounts of secondary

                   
color. Be sure to mix enough color for the cakes to be decorated as it
is

                   
difficult to match an exact color.

 

                        
ANTIQUE GOLD Add just an extremely small touch of

                        
Leaf Green to golden yellow

AQUA Sky Blue and Leaf Green

                        
AVOCADO Use Moss Green color

                        
BLACK Our paste color or Royal Blue, Christmas Red,

                        
Orange and Lemon

                        
CHARTREUSE 9 parts Lemon Yellow, 1 part Leaf Green

                        
CORAL Watermelon makes a very attractive coral color.

                        
Or bright Creamy Peach

                        
FLESH Add just an extremely small touch of Copper to

                        
white icing. Ivory can also be used. Light pink with a small

                        
amount of brown.

                        
GRAY Add just a touch of Black to white icing.

                        
HUNTER GREEN Kelly Green and a touch of black

                        
JADE Leaf green, Royal Blue and a touch of black

                        
LAVENDER Pink and violet

                        
MARIGOLD Lemon Yellow and orange

                        
MAROON Burgundy and Red Red

                        
MAUVE Touch of Burgundy with very little black.

                        
MISTY GREEN Leaf Green, Royal Blue and a touch of

                        
black

                        
MOSS GREEN Our paste color or violet and lemon

                        
yellow

                        
MULBERRY Mix Rose with a touch of Royal Blue.

                        
NAVY BLUE Royal blue and black

                        
RASPBERRY Pink and Red Red

                        
RUST Orange, Red Red and Brown

                        
SILVER We do not advise attempting to simulate silver

                        
color in icing. Instead, add silver leaves or other silver

                        
accessories to the cake.

                        
TEAL Use teal paste color or lemon yellow and sky blue

                        
TURQUOISE Sky Blue and Lemon Yellow

                        
WARM GOLD Use Golden Yellow with just a touch of

                        
brown.

Notes About Wilton Paste

                   
Colors

                        
RED

                        
There are three different reds – Christmas Red, a

                        
blue-toned red; Red-Red, an orange toned red; and

                        
Red-No Taste, a blue toned red.

                        
Note: It can take as much as 1 oz. of red paste color to

                        
one cup of icing to get a deep red.

                        
GREEN

                        
Leaf Green is a brighter green with more yellow than Kelly

                        
Green. Both of these greens require very little color, how

                        
much color added depends on the tone of the green you

                        
want.

                        
HOT PINK

                        
Rose paste color will obtain hot pink with good results.

                        
Rose Petal is a soft, muted rose color. Pink is a traditional

                        
pastel with a slight yellow tone.

                        
BLUE

                        
Royal Blue has a red tone. Sky Blue has a yellow tone.

                        
DAFFODIL YELLOW

                        
Daffodil Yellow is an all natural food coloring and does not

                        
contain yellow #5. (Many people are allergic to this).

                        
Daffodil Yellow currently contains alcohol which all other

                        
colors do not have present.

Icing Color Uses

   Cookie Dough

                        
A fun way to add color to cookies is to bake it right in! It’s

                        
easy–Knead small amounts of Icing Color into prepared

                        
Roll-Out Cookie Dough until desired shade is reached. Roll out,

                        
cut into shapes and bake! Take it one step further by piping

                        
decorations on unbaked cookies using thinned tinted cookie

                        
dough.

                        
Here’s how–Thin a small amount of tinted dough with 1 tsp.

                        
Water at a time until it will pass through a small round decorating

                        
tip. Add outlines, details, and even flowers. Bake following recipe

                        
instructions.

                        
Easter Eggs

                        
Create a rainbow of colored eggs for Easter matched to your

                        
basket, outfit, or bonnet! It’s easy, fast and convenient, using

                        
Wilton Icing Colors. Put 1 tsp. Vinegar in 3/4 cup very hot water.

                        
Mix in icing color until the water is a very deep hue. Let water set

                        
a few minutes, stir until completely dissolved, then begin to

                        
brighten and color dozens of eggs! Experiment with different

                        
colors, using a test egg to try out different combinations! Your

                        
Easter egg-coloring possibilities are endless–even the Easter

                        
bunny couldn’t do better!

                        
Bread Dough — Just add icing color to the dough while

                        
kneading! For an extra special touch, bake bread in one of

                        
Witon’s shaped pans.

                        
Punch — You may choose to color your punch or you can use

                        
Wilton’s Singles!™ Molds to make ice cubes. It is best to make

                        
the molds with lemon-lime soda to avoid watered down punch.

ANTIQUE GOLD Add just an extremely
small touch of Leaf Green to Golden Yellow

AQUA Sky Blue and Leaf Green

AVOCADO Use Moss Green color

BLACK Our paste color or Royal Blue,
Christmas Red, Orange and Lemon

CHARTREUSE 9 parts Lemon Yellow,
1 part Leaf Green

CORAL Creamy peach and a touch of
pink or orange and a touch of pink.

FLESH Add just an extremely small
touch of Copper to white icing. Ivory can also be used. Light pink with
a small amount of brown.

GRAY Add just a touch of Black to
white icing.

HUNTER GREEN Kelly Green and a touch
of Black

JADE Leaf green, Royal Blue and a
touch of Black

LAVENDER Pink and Violet

MARIGOLD Lemon Yellow and Orange

MAROON Burgundy and Red Red

MAUVE Touch of Burgundy with very
little Black.

MISTY GREEN Leaf Green, Royal Blue
and a touch of Black

MOSS GREEN Our paste color or Violet
and Lemon Yellow

MULBERRY Mix Rose with a touch of
Royal Blue.

NAVY BLUE Royal Blue and Black

PERIWINKLE Royal Blue and Violet

PLUM Use violet with a touch of Christmas
red.

RASPBERRY Pink and Red Red

RUST Orange, Red Red and Brown

SILVER We do not advise attempting
to simulate silver color in icing. Instead, add silver leaves or other
silver accessories to the cake.

TEAL Use teal paste color or Lemon
Yellow and Sky Blue

TURQUOISE Sky Blue and Lemon Yellow

WARM GOLD Use Golden Yellow with
just a touch of brown.

The color of food is an integral
part of our culture and enjoyment of life. Who would deny the mouth-watering
appeal of a deep-pink strawberry ice on a hot summer day or a golden Thanksgiving
turkey garnished with fresh green parsley?

Even early civilizations such as
the Romans recognized that people “eat with their eyes” as well as their
palates. Saffron and other spices were often used to provide a rich yellow
color to various foods. Butter has been colored yellow as far back as the
1300’s.

Today all food color additives are
carefully regulated by federal authorities to ensure that foods are safe
to eat and accurately labeled. This brochure provides helpful background
information about color additives, why they are used in foods, and regulations
governing their safe use in the food supply.

What is a Color Additive?

Technically, a color additive is
any dye, pigment or substance that can impart color when added or applied
to a food, drug, cosmetic or to the human body.

The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) is responsible for regulating all color additives used in the United
States. All color additives permitted for use in foods are classified as
“certifiable” or “exempt from certification” (see Table I).

Certifiable color additives are manmade,
with each batch being tested by manufacturer and FDA. This “approval” process,
known as color additive certification, assures the safety, quality, consistency
and strength of the color additive prior to its use in foods.

There are nine certified colors approved
for use in food in the United States. One example is FD&C Yellow No.6,
which is used in cereals, bakery goods, snack foods and other foods.

Color additives that are exempt from
certification include pigments derived from natural sources such as vegetables,
minerals or animals, and man-made counterparts of natural derivatives.

For example, caramel color is produced
commercially by heating sugar and other carbohydrates under strictly controlled
conditions for use in sauces, gravies, soft drinks, baked goods and other
foods.

Whether a color additive is certifiable
or exempt from certification has no bearing on its overall safety. Both
types of color additives are subject to rigorous standards of safety prior
to their approval for use in foods.

Certifiable color additives are used
widely because their coloring ability is more intense than most colors
derived from natural products; thus, they are often added to foods in smaller
quantities. In addition, certifiable color additives are more stable, provide
better color uniformity and blend together easily to provide a wide range
of hues. Certifiable color additives generally do not impart undesirable
flavors to foods, while color derived from foods such as beets and cranberries
can produce such unintended effects.

Of nine certifiable colors approved
for use in the United States, seven color additives are used in food manufacturing
(see Table II). Regulations known as Good Manufacturing Practices limit
the amount of color added to foods. Too much color would make foods unattractive
to consumers, in addition to increasing costs.

What Are Dyes and Lakes?

Certifiable color additives are available
for use in food as either “dyes” or “lakes.” Dyes dissolve in water and
are manufactured as powders, granules, liquids or other special purpose
forms. They can be used in beverages, dry mixes, baked goods, confections,
dairy products, pet foods and a variety of other products.

Lakes are the water insoluble form
of the dye. Lakes are more stable than dyes and are ideal for coloring
products containing fats and oils or items lacking sufficient moisture
to dissolve dyes. Typical uses include coated tablets, cake and donut mixes,
hard candies and chewing gums.

Why Are Color Additives Used In Foods?

Color is an important property of
foods that adds to our enjoyment of eating. Nature teaches us early to
expect certain colors in certain foods, and our future acceptance of foods
is highly dependent on meeting these expectations.

Color variation in foods throughout
the seasons and the effects of food processing and storage often require
that manufacturers add color to certain foods to meet consumer expectations.
The primary reasons of adding colors to foods include:

    * To offset color
loss due to exposure to light, air, extremes of temperature, moisture and
storage conditions.

    * To correct
natural variations in color. Off-colored foods are often incorrectly associated
with inferior quality. For example, some tree-ripened oranges are often
sprayed with Citrus Red No.2 to correct the natural orangy-brown or mottled
green color of their peels (Masking inferior quality, however, is an unacceptable
use of colors.)

    * To enhance
colors that occur naturally but at levels weaker than those usually associated
with a given food.

    * To provide
a colorful identity to foods that would otherwise be virtually colorless.
Red colors provide a pleasant identity to strawberry ice while lime sherbet
is known by its bright green color.

    * To provide
a colorful appearance to certain “fun foods.” Many candies and holiday
treats are colored to create a festive appearance.

    * To protect
flavors and vitamins that may be affected by sunlight during storage.

    * To provide
an appealing variety of wholesome and nutritious foods that meet consumers’
demands.

How Are Color Additives Regulated?

In 1900, there were about 80 man-made
color additives available for use in foods. At that time there were no
regulations regarding the purity and uses of these dyes.

Legislation enacted since the turn
of the century, however, has greatly improved food color additive safety
and stimulated improvements in food color technology.

The Food and Drug Act of 1906 permitted
or “listed” seven man-made color additives for use in foods. The Act also
established a voluntary certification program, which was administered by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); hence man-made color additives
became known as “certifiable color additives”.

The Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic
(FD&C) Act of 1938 made food color additive certification mandatory
and transferred the authority for its testing from USDA to FDA. To avoid
confusing color additives used in food with those manufactured for other
uses, three categories of certifiable color additives were created:

    * Food, Drug and
Cosmetic (FD&C) – Color additives with application in foods, drugs
or cosmetics;

    * Drug and Cosmetic
(D&C) – Color additives with applications in drugs or cosmetics;

    * External Drug
and Cosmetic (External D&C) – Color additives with applications in
externally applied drugs (e.g. ointments) and in externally applied cosmetics.

In 1960, the Color Additive Amendments
to the FD&C Act placed color additives on a “provisional” list and
required further testing using up-to-date procedures. One section of the
amendment known as the Delaney Clause, prohibits adding to any food substance
that has been shown to cause cancer in animals or man regardless of the
dose. Under the amendments, color additives exempt from certification also
are required to meet rigorous safety standards prior to being permitted
for use in foods.

According to the Nutrition Labeling
and Education Act of 1990, a certifiable color additive used in food must
be listed in the ingredient statement by its common or usual name. All
label printed after July 1, 1991 must comply with this requirement.

How Are Color Additives Approved
for Use in Foods?

To market a new color additive, a
manufacturer must first petition FDA for its approval. The petition must
provide convincing evidence that the proposed color additive performs as
it is intended. Animal studies using large doses of the color additive
for long periods are often necessary to show that the substance would not
cause harmful effects at expected levels of human consumption. Studies
of the color additive in humans also may be submitted to FDA.

In deciding whether a color additive
should be approved, the agency considers the composition and properties
of the substance, the amount likely to be consumed, its probable long-term
effects and various safety factors. Absolute safety of any substance can
never be proven. Therefore, FDA must determine if there is a reasonable
certainty of no harm from the color additive under its proposed conditions
of use.

If the color additive is approved,
FDA issues regulations that may include the types of foods in which it
can be used, the maximum amounts to be used and how it should be identified
on food labels. Color additives proposed for use in meat and poultry products
also must receive specific authorization by USDA.

Federal officials then carefully
monitor the extent of Americans’ consumption of the new color additive
and results of any new research on its safety.

In addition, FDA operates an Adverse
Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS) to help serve as an ongoing safety check
of all activities. The system monitors and investigates all complaints
by individuals or their physicians that are believed to be related to food
and color additives; specific foods; or vitamin and mineral supplements.
The ARMS computerized database helps officials decide whether reported
adverse reactions represent a real public health hazard, so that appropriate
action can be taken.

Additional Information About Color
Additives

Q. Are certain people sensitive to
FD&C Yellow No.5 in foods?

A. FDA’s Advisory Committee on Hypersensitivity
to Food Constituents concluded in 1986 that FD&C Yellow No.5 may cause
hives in fewer that one out of 10,000 people. The committee found that
there was no evidence the color additive in foods provokes asthma attacks
nor that aspirin-intolerant individuals may have a cross-sensitivity to
the color. As with other color additives certifiable for food use, whenever
FD&C Yellow No.5 is added to foods, it is listed on the product label.
This allows the small portion of people who may be sensitive to the color
to avoid it.

Q. What is the status of FD&C
Red No.3?

A. In 1990, FDA discontinued the
provisional listing of all lake forms of FD&C Red No.3 and its dye
form used in external drugs and cosmetics. The uses were terminated because
one study of the color additive in male rats showed an association with
thyroid tumors. In announcing the decision, FDA that any human risk posed
by FD&C Red No.3 was extremely small and was based less on safety concerns
than the legal mandate of the Delaney Clause. FD&C Red No.3 remains
permanently listed for use in food and ingested drugs, although FDA has
announced its intent to propose rescinding those listings.

Q. Why are decisions sometimes changed
about the safety of food color additives?

A. Since absolute safety of any substance
can never be proven, decisions about the safety of color additives or other
food ingredients are made on the best scientific evidence available. Because
scientific knowledge is constantly evolving, federal officials often review
earlier decisions to assure that the safety assessment of a food substance
remains up-to-date. Any change made in previous clearances should be recognized
as an assurance that the latest and best scientific knowledge is being
applied to enhance the safety of the food supply.

Q. Do food color additives cause
hyperactivity?

A. Although this theory was popularized
in the 1970’s, well-controlled studies conducted since then have produced
no evidence that food color additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities
in children. A Consensus Development Panel of the National Institutes of
Health concluded in 1982 that there was no scientific evidence to support
the claim that colorings or other food additives cause hyperactivity. The
panel said that elimination diets should not be used universally to treat
childhood hyperactivity, since there is no scientific evidence to predict
which children may benefit.

Table 1. Color Additives Permitted
For Direct Addition To Human Food In The United States

Certifiable Colors Colors Exempt
from Certification

FD&C Blue No.1 (Dye and Lake),
FD&C Blue No.2 (Dye and Lake), FD&C Green No.3 (Dye and Lake),
FD&C Red No.3 (Dye), FD&C Red No.40 (Dye and Lake), FD&C Yellow
No.5 (Dye and Lake), FD&C Yellow No.6 (Dye and Lake), Orange B*, Citrus
Red No.2* Annatto extract, B-Apo-8′-carotenal*, Beta-carotene, Beet powder,
Canthaxanthin, Caramel color, Carrot oil, Cochineal extract (carmine);
Cottonseed flour, toasted partially defatted, cooked; Ferrous gluconate
*, Fruit juice, Grape color extract*, Grape skin extract* (enocianina),
Paprika, Paprika oleoresin, Riboflavin, Saffron, Titanium dioxide*, Turmeric,
Turmeric oleoresin, Vegetable juice

*These food color additives are
restricted to specific uses.

Table II. Color Additives Certifiable
For Food Use

Name/Common Name Hue Common Food
Uses

FD&C Blue No.1

Brilliant Blue FCF Bright blue Beverages,
dairy products powders, jellies, confections, condiments, icings, syrups,
extracts

FD&C Blue No.2

Indigotine Royal Blue Baked goods,
cereals, snack foods, ice cream, confections, cherries

FD&C Green No.3

Fast Green FCF Sea Green Beverages,
puddings, ice cream, sherbert, cherries, confections, baked goods, dairy
products

FD&C Red No.40

Allura Red AC Orange-red Gelatins,
puddings, dairy products, confections, beverages, condiments

FD&C Red No.3

Erythrosine Cherry-red Cherries
in fruit cocktail and in canned fruits for salads, confections, baked goods,
dairy products, snack foods

FD&C Yellow No.5

Tartrazine Lemon Yellow Custards,
beverages, ice cream, confections, preserves, cereals

FD&C Yellow No.6

Sunset Yellow Orange Cereals, baked
goods, snack foods, ice cream, beverages, dessert powders, confections

Food and Drug Administration HFI
140

5600 Fishers Lane Rockville MD 20857

in cooperation with

International Food Information Council
Foundation

1100 Connecticut Ave, N.W. Suite
430

Washington, D.C. 20036

January 1993