Petrochemical usage in food
C Petrochemical-derived astaxanthin, fed to farmed salmon, both improves their health and imparts the characteristic redness of their wild counterparts.
Food colouring The earliest discovery of petrochemicals as syn thetic dyes dates back to 1856, when William Henry Perkin unintentionally discovered the pur ple dye, mauve, from coal tar when he was trying to synthesise the anti-malarial drug, quinine. The discovery of mauvin initiated a race to discover other synthetic dyes that are present in the myriad of chemicals in coal tar. Dyes from coal tar were quickly adopted to colour food, drugs and cos metics. Food dyes in the present, however, are derived from petroleum. As food consumers, we are attracted to pro ducts that are aesthetically pleasing. We form judgments using colours to perceive the quality and attractiveness of a product that is being marketed to us. Consumers associate colouration with superior flavour. Hence, most food manu facturers incorporate food colourings or food dyes in order to enhance the visual quality of their products. In the USA, data collected by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have shown a dramatic five-fold increase in the con sumption of dyes since 1955, with three synthetic dyes – Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 – accounting for 90% of all dye usage. While some of these dyes are derived from natural sources, the majority are manufactured 68
WPC Guide
synthetically. This is because synthetic dyes are cheaper to produce, more stable and produce brighter colours than most natural colourings. The prevalence of petroleum-derived food dyes is such that they are used in products including breakfast cereals, candy, snacks, beverages, vita mins, and even on the skin of citrus fruits. Nevertheless, the preconception that synthetic food colourings are limited to the use in manu factured food products is seriously flawed. The flesh of wild salmon from oceans and rivers is often red, pink or orange in varying degrees. This colouration depends on the carotenoid content in the wild salmon’s diet, with astaxanthin being the most common carotenoid obtained from natural occurring sources such as small crustaceans or other fish. As farmed salmon do not have access to these naturally occurring sources, petrochemi cal-derived astaxanthin is incorporated into the diet of farmed salmon. The addition of astaxanthin promotes the de sired redness of the flesh, functions as a precursor of Vitamin A, and is important for the growth, reproduction, metabolism and health of the sal mon. The use of astaxanthin is approved by the European Commission. In some countries, such as Scotland, Ireland, Chile and Canada, cantaxanthin (E 161g), is used in combination with astaxanthin