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NO. Only few colors are permitted to be used for coloring food. However their numbers vary from country to country. In Indonesia we refer to BPOM regulation.

The 16 commonly used colors are soluble in water. The insoluble form of the water-soluble dyes are called as lakes.

Synthetic food colors are classified as :
– Water soluble dyes
– Water insoluble colors or lakes

Water solubles dyes are colors that are applied to various food products by dissolving it in water before application.

Lakes are insoluble form of water-soluble dyes. They are applied to color food by dispersing them in the medium from which they are applied.

The maximum amount of color that is soluble in a specific volume of water at 28 C is called the solubility of that color. It is expressed as grams/liter.

Every color (natural and synthetic) has a unique chemical structure, based upon the structure each color has been given an index number which is universally recognized.

– Permissibility of the color for the particular application
– Suitability of the color for particular application
– Compatibility of the color with other ingredients to be used in the particular application
– Solubility of the color at the concentration at which it is intended to be used
– Stability of the color to the processing conditions to be encountered during the application
– Stability of the color to the conditions under which the finished product is going to be stored

Dyes are chemicals compounds, which exhibit their coloring powder or tinctorial strength when dissolved in a solvent. Pigment are insoluble coloring material, which color by dispersion. A lake is a pigment formed by precipitation and absorption of a dyes on an insoluble base or substrate. The base for the food color lakes is alumina hydrate.

Contents DYES LAKES Solubility Soluble in water / propylene glycol/glycerin Insoluble in most solvents Method of coloring By being dissolved By dispersion Pure dye content 80 – 95% Generally 10 – 40% Dosage of use 0,001 – 0,01% 0,01 – 0,1% Particle size 200 – 300 mesh Above 325 mesh Stability to light Good Better Stability to heat Good Better Color strength Only depend on dye content Depends on dye content and particle size Shade Constant Varies with dye content

As laek are amde from water soluble dyye to form insoluble in water, there is slight color of dye is remain in Lake which is suspended in water called as “bleeding”. A good lake product has a very low level of bleeding.

By their very nature, lakes are suitable for coloring products where the moisutre levels are low.