PREVALENCE OF FOOD COLORANTS IN REFRESHING NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND BEVERAGES INTENDED FOR CHILDREN
Abstract
Food colorants are food additives commonly added to foods and beverages to compensate for color loss during processing and exposure to light, air, moisture, and temperature variations. This study evaluates the prevalence of colorants in popular beverages on the local market and those marketed specifically towards children. The study analyzed data from the labels of 162 samples of refreshing non-alcoholic beverages from 24 manufacturers. A total of 62% of the samples contained at least one type of food colorant. The highest percentage of colorant presence were in energy drinks, syrups for refreshing non-alcoholic beverages (90% and 85% of samples, respectively), and fruit juice-based refreshing beverages (71% of samples). The most commonly used colorants were E150d and E160a. Considering the concerns regarding the health effects of certain colorants and the high percentage of beverages containing them, steps should be taken to promote proper nutrition and healthy child development, reducing the intake of synthetic colorants.
Keywords
food colorants, soft drinks, synthetic colors, marketing to children, food additive
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