Of course, it is not without harm. The human body has its limits. Maybe some food pigments are not harmful to human body when eaten in moderation (such as natural food pigments), but they are harmful to human body when eaten in large quantities. Others, even if eaten in small amounts, will cause harm over a long period of time (such as synthetic food pigments). Generally speaking, pigments can be divided into natural edible pigments and synthetic edible pigments. The safety of natural edible pigment is relatively high, but excessive consumption is harmful to human body. So try to eat less brightly colored processed food, and it is best to cook it at home.

natural food colour

Natural edible pigments mainly include three categories: the first category is plant pigments, such as β -carotene and so on; The second category is animal pigment, cochineal and so on. The third category is microorganisms, such as red koji. Eating too much of these pigments will also cause harm to the body. For example, eating too much carotene will make the skin and sclera yellow; There are also some pigments whose structures will mutate in the process of adding one, which may cause cancer, but the human body has a high tolerance to such pigments. However, eating it correctly has certain benefits to the human body.

Synthetic food pigment

There are two main types of synthetic food pigments. The first category is azo pigments, including lemon yellow, sunset yellow and new red, and the second category is non-azo pigments, including erythrosine and brilliant blue. This pigment is mainly made of coal tar, which contains certain toxicity and will cause harm to people's heads after eating. In addition, this kind of pigment also contains some metal ions, which are easy to cause harm to children such as mental retardation and slow growth and development.

Although pigment can make food look more bright and beautiful and increase appetite, it will be harmful to health if eaten reasonably. Isn't it a little scary to know the difference between natural pigments and synthetic pigments? When you see colorful and attractive food, will you put it in your stomach without hesitation?