Somewhere over the rainbow ...

Perhaps the elusive pot of gold is akin to the quest for safe and stable food colours. Consumer groups have often shown concern around the azo dyes permitted as food colours. Now we have the first opinion from the European Food Safety Authority - its re-evaluation of food additives has raised safety concerns in relation to E128 (Red 2G).

Colours have been given top priority within the European Commission's request for re-evaluation of additives as it is ages (30 years in the case of E128) since their initial safety evaluations were performed and since this time further scientific evidence has come to light.

Unsurprisingly, I have started to receive many queries about the other azo dyes and we await with interest the conclusions of the experts in relation to their continued acceptability.

Prior to this latest development, there has been a strong trend for some time with increasing interest in coloured foods as an alternative to colourings as such. The legislation on colours for use in foods specifically excludes the category of coloured foods.

Directive 94/36/EC, claims foods (dried or concentrated) used for colouring purposes, eg spinach, fall outside the scope of colours legislation and should be labelled as ingredients, whereas preparations selectively extracted for their colouring properties fall within the scope of the Directive and can only be used if they meet the specifications of one of the permitted colours.

The issue of selective extraction can become a thorny one and I understand that the category of coloured foodstuffs is under consideration in Brussels as it has been highlighted that there is a need for consistency in interpretation across Europe.

Let us hope that food industry solutions to the colours issues are not faced with additional entry barriers.

Kath Veal is busiess manger, regulatory and technical consultancy services at Leatherhead Food International​