Edible pigment, also known as edible pigment, is an edible substance that can color food, thus improving its tone and color. Colorful edible pigments are pleasing to the eye and stimulate people's appetite, which is an indispensable part of food production.

Food pigments can be divided into natural food pigments and synthetic food pigments.

Natural pigments come directly from animals and plants, except Garcinia cambogia, the rest are harmless to human body. The state has also stipulated the maximum dosage of each natural edible pigment. At present, the natural pigments allowed to be used are turmeric, safflower yellow, capsicum red pigment, shellac pigment, Redmi, soy sauce color, beet red, sodium copper chlorophyllin and β-carotene. They are processed and stored because they are sensitive to light, heat, acid and alkali.

Synthetic pigment, that is, synthetic pigment, has many advantages, such as bright color, strong coloring power and diverse colors, but it has a great disadvantage, which is toxicity (including toxicity, diarrhea and carcinogenesis). These toxicities come from arsenic, lead, copper, phenol, aniline, ether, chloride, sulfate and so on in synthetic pigments, which will cause different degrees of harm to human body. At present, amaranth is allowed in China.