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Dean, College of Agriculture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, California
Natural Food Colorants: Science and Technology. Gabriel J. Lauro and F. Jack Francis, eds. New York: Marcel Dekker, 336 pp, 2000.
This reference book is a product of the IFT Basic Symposium Series. The editors are both well recognized for their expertise in the field of natural colorants and as such insure a consistent quality to the articles. There are 22 contributing authors, who are internationally recognized experts in their respective fields.
The focus of the book is "to improve, correct, and update current knowledge, covering all aspects of natural colorants from their chemistry, preparation, formulation, application, and measurement for safety, regulatory and health considerations." For the most part, the book succeeds in its goals.
The book comprises 15 chapters. The selection of natural colorant chromophores reviewed in this volume is based on their commercial use, availability and potential for future use. The first 12 chapters characterize individual colorants: carmine, betalains, monascus, gardenia yellow, paprika, annatto, lycopene, phycobilins, tumeric, chlorophylls, anthocyanins and carmel. Each of these chapters presents very current updates on the basic knowledge and application of the colorants.
A separate chapter characterizes the physical properties of colors, the methods of measurement and standardization and the techniques needed to provide a consistent product. Successful food scientists need to understand the creative art of coloring foods, the chemistry of the chromophores, the composition of a product to which a chromophore is being added and the resultant interaction between components, which results in stability and acceptability of the desired color.
The health aspects of natural colorants are considered in this volume, with emphasis on anthocyanins, carotenoids, curcuminoids and the chlorophylls. Each colorant is evaluated and concluded to have biochemical and pharmacological effects. Some of the beneficial activities include antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anticarcinogenic activity, antiatherogenic activity, antibacterial and antiviral activity. Given the small amounts of these agents used as colorants, resulting beneficial effects on health would indeed prove worthy of additional consideration. Such results may stimulate further interest in the use of natural colorants.
Although a concluding discussion of regulations for natural colorant use in Europe and Japan is very good, the absence of a similar discussion on use in the United States is noted. An additional area of need is a chapter on determination of safety for use of these natural products.
The chapters provide backgrounds, basic chemistries, sources, and modes of manufacture and utilization of the specific natural colorants. The figures and tables are well done and contribute to an understanding of the text material. The chapters contain numerous references, which were current through 1999 with a few into 2000. This volume complements an earlier book, Colorants, written by Jack Francis and published by Eagen Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1999.
This volume would be useful for anyone interested in natural colorants. It makes an appropriate reference for faculty teaching an introduction to natural food colorants, as well as for researchers and graduate students interested in studying natural colorants and their applications. Importantly, several areas of need are identified which should challenge industry and food scientists in developing future applications.
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