(Written by Jean; Level: middle)
For curry lovers out there, it’s time to stop craving the sauce! Studies have shown that curry sauces contain a high level of harmful food colorings, including the notorious FD&C Yellow No. 5. Food colorants are present in almost every processed food product. They are used to enhance the colors of our food. Basically, there are 2 kinds of food colors: artificial and natural.
Artificial food colorants such as the FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine, produced from coal tar and other chemicals), which give curry sauce the familiar golden brown color, can be dangerous for human consumption. This particular food colorant has been known to cause heart diseases, cancer and even a breakdown of the nervous system.
However, in today’s health conscious society, more manufacturers are beginning to use natural food colorants. Natural food colorants mainly come from vegetables, and more often than not, insects. Carmine, which can be found in yoghurts and juice drinks, is actually powdered, dried, red beetles! Not only are these bugs safe for eating, they actually contribute to the well-being of our health. Carmine is rich in calcium and vitamin E.
Another favorable natural food colorant is beta-carotene. As the name suggests, this natural compound is made from carrot, together with spinach, pumpkin and papaya. Not only does it give our food a bright orange color, it is pro-vitamin A and has in vitro antioxidant properties that prevent chronic diseases.
So watch out for the coloring labels of the food from the grocery stores. It’s so much healthier to eat bugs than coal tar!
