What are natural colors?
Natural food colorings are pigments derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources used to enhance or restore the visual appearance of food products. Examples include annatto (orange-yellow from achiote seeds), beta-carotene (orange from carrots and algae), turmeric (yellow from the turmeric root), beet juice (red-purple from beetroot), carmine (red from cochineal insects), caramel color, and spirulina extract (blue-green). These colorants have been used for centuries in traditional food preparation and are increasingly preferred by manufacturers responding to consumer demand for ingredients perceived as more natural.
48,869 products in our database contain natural colors. 27,810 of them (57%) are Level 4, the most processed of our four levels.
Which foods contain natural colors?
Natural colorings are used in yogurts, ice cream, cheese, butter, cereals, snack foods, confections, beverages, sauces, baked goods, cosmetics, and are increasingly replacing synthetic dyes in products marketed as natural or clean-label.
The Original Caesar Dressing
Chocolate Hazelnut
Family Recipe Italian Dressing
Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
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House Italian Made with Peramesan Cheese
Campbell's Sauces Pineapple Teriyaki
Crackers, Real Cheddar Cheese
Crackers, Cheddar Cheese
Jalapeno Pretzel Pieces Flavoured Sourdough Hard Pretzel, Jalapeno
Garlic Bread Loaf, Garlic
Progresso Traditional Homestyle Chicken Soup
Cinnamon Toasters Cereal
Cremede Pirouline, America's Only Rolled Wafer, Chocolate Hazelnut
Kodiak Wheat Bread
Campbell's Chunky Soup Sirloin Burger
El Mexicano, Sour Cream
Original Recipe Tapioca Pudding
Duncan Hines, Pie Filling & Topping, Apple
Calypso, Lemonade
Balsamic Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Dutch Licorice Coins
Cheese Alternative, Mozzarella Style
Strawberry Fruit on the Bottom Greek Nonfat Yogurt, Strawberry
Starlight Mints Hard Candy, Starlight Mints
Yplt Orig Strwbry Low Fat Ygrt
Peppermint Flavored Starlight Mints Hard Candy, Peppermint
Peppermint Starlight Mints Flavored Hard Candy, Peppermint Starlight Mints
Nausea Relief Ginger Gum
Starlight Mints Hard Candy
Meijer
Starlights Candy
Signature Select
Crystal Farms, Colby Cheese
Country Barley Miso
Springfield, Premium Garbanzo Beans
Cabot, New York Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Mccadam, New York Cheddar Cheese, Mild
Borden, Natural Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salo Bahia, Iodized Sea Salt Fine Crystals
Cabot, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Cabot, Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Mild Soft & Creamy Cheese
Reny Picot, Gouda Cheese
Ziyad, Chick Peas, Garbanzo Beans
Chick Peas Garbanzos
Les Petites Fermieres, Muenster Cheese
Great Value, Longhorn Style Cheese, Mild Cheddar
Boiled Peanuts
Highest Quality Beans
Food Lion, Golden Raisins
Valued Naturals, Crystallized Ginger Slices, Ginger
Mediterranean Coarse Sea Salt
Master, Fresh Red Chili Pepper
Racconto, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Delallo, Balsamic Vinegar
Eden, Red Wine Vinegar
Colavita, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Shoprite, Balsamic Vinegar
Capatriti, Blended Canola Oil & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bellino, Balsamic Vinegar
Bella Famiglia, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Yellow Potato
Also known as
Natural Colors can appear in ingredient lists under several names. If you see any of the following, this is the ingredient family you are looking at:
Function
Natural colorings restore color lost during food processing or enhance the visual appeal of products to meet consumer expectations. Color strongly influences taste perception and purchasing decisions, making it a critical attribute in food product development. Unlike synthetic dyes, natural colorings may contribute subtle flavor notes and are derived from recognizable biological sources. They are increasingly used to replace synthetic dyes in product reformulations marketed as "free from artificial colors" or "clean label."
Sources
Natural food colors are extracted from biological sources through various methods including solvent extraction, pressing, and drying. Annatto is extracted from the seeds of the Bixa orellana tree. Turmeric color comes from the rhizome of Curcuma longa. Beet juice color is obtained by pressing or extracting Beta vulgaris roots. Carmine is derived from dried cochineal insects (Dactylopius coccus). Spirulina blue is extracted from cyanobacteria. Caramel color, though classified as natural, is produced by carefully heating sugar under controlled conditions with specific reactants (acids, alkalis, or ammonium compounds).
Health considerations
Natural food colorings are exempt from FDA batch certification requirements that apply to synthetic dyes. Carmine (cochineal extract) has been associated with allergic reactions in some individuals, and the FDA requires that it be specifically identified on ingredient labels. Some individuals report sensitivity to annatto. Caramel color produced with ammonium compounds (Class III and IV) has been examined in research regarding 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) content.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Regulatory
Natural food colorings are regulated by the FDA and must be listed on ingredient labels, though they are exempt from the batch certification requirements that apply to synthetic color additives. Colors derived from natural sources must still meet purity and safety standards. While the NOVA food classification system does not categorize natural colorings as strictly as artificial ones, the addition of any colorant to a food product is generally considered an indicator of a higher processing level. Carmine and cochineal extract must be declared by name per FDA requirements (as of 2011). The EU requires specific E-numbers for natural colorings.