Definition of natural pigment

Natural pigments are generally derived from natural ingredients, such as beet red, grapes, and peppers. These foods have already been recognized and accepted by consumers. Therefore, the use of natural pigments from these food sources can be more favored by consumers and can be used even more. Safer.
Some products, because of the use of natural pigments, have less artificial appearance than their natural counterparts, and therefore are closer to the natural form, thereby attracting more consumers. In the European Union today, natural pigments not only capture the market for synthetic pigments, but they also capture the market for pigment extracts.

The Health Function of Natural Pigments In the past, fruits and vegetables accounted for a large part of the food that people eat each day. This lifestyle is characterized by rich and healthy food. Later, people realized that many pigments that can bring bright colors to fruits and vegetables are actually very valuable nutritional products.
Modern technology can also be applied to develop more sophisticated products. There are many pigments in nature, some of which can be used as food colorings as well as important nutrients. Many of these color shades are between yellow, orange, and red.
Anthocyanins are a group of natural pigments found in fruits and vegetables that make fruits and vegetables appear red to blue. In industrial production, the most common sources of pigments are grapes, elderberries, raspberries, and red cabbage (purple cabbage). Anthocyanins not only serve as pigments, but also have many biological activities. Different sources of anthocyanins have different properties. Anthocyanins derived from grape skins can reduce the risk of heart disease. Anthocyanins from Elderberry are resistant to influenza viruses, and anthocyanins from raspberries have good protection against vision.
Another major class of natural pigments with nutritional properties is carotenoids. Carotenoids are widely distributed in nature and generally appear yellow, orange, and red. Most fruits and vegetables contain a mixture of carotenoids. The extracts obtained from these fruits and vegetables are an important source of essential human nutrition. It has now been confirmed that there are 600 different carotenoids in nature.
Beta-carotene is the most common carotenoid and is now widely used in food processing. Beta-carotene has been used in butter and margarine for many years and it not only provides these products with a yellow hue, but also Vitamin A can also be provided, mainly because β-carotene can be converted to vitamin A in the human body. In many countries there are regulations that margarine must be supplemented with vitamin A, and therefore beta-carotene is a source of vitamin A.
The most abundant of the mixed carotenoids in nature is the fruit of palm oil, containing alpha, beta and gamma-carotene and lycopene. Many consumers have recognized that mixed carotenoids are beneficial to human health. Nowadays, natural carotene has become a very common pigment that can provide attractive yellow and orange products.
Lutein is a yellow pigment from marigold. It was not until recently that people realized that it was an antioxidant that could fight off spotting, a disease that causes blindness in the elderly. Lycopene is a bright red pigment that is a powerful antioxidant that can prevent many types of cancer. Curcumin also has antioxidant properties and has anti-inflammatory properties.