Who Discovered Food Coloring?
You might be surprised that food coloring has been around for such a long time.
Beginnings of Food Coloring
To go back to the first record of food coloring, let us travel to Ancient Egypt. While we cannot tell you exactly who discovered food coloring, we can tell you that the people in Ancient Egypt used it.
- Saffron: They used saffron, which is a dye from a plant that will turn food yellow. We are able to know this because saffron is mentioned in Homer's Illiad, which was composed around 700 B.C.
- Wine: About three hundred years later in 400 B.C., we have evidence from Pliny the Elder which states that wine was artificially colored as well.
In Ancient Rome, the wealthy individuals ate bread that was colored even whiter by adding the mineral alum.
Progression of Food Coloring Discovery
As time bore on, food coloring was still a popular element to use when creating dishes. During the Medievel Period in Europe, brightly colored foods were a sign of wealth. The following substances were used to color food during this time period.
- Indigo
- Turnsole
- Borage root
- Marigold
- Tumeric
- Red saunders
- Saffron
- Safflower
- Parsley
- Fruits
- Flower petals
- Spinach
Food colorings were certainly used in the Ancient times. However, the movement of food coloring to Europe really gave the practice of coloring food a boost.
During the Renaissance, people thought that eating food that was colored provided medicinal powers and was connected to the spirit world.
From the base of items that we listed above, a whole group of other food coloring substances were discovered and brought into everyday use.
By the time the 20th century rolled around, people were also using:
- Paprika
- Brazilwood
- Copper sulphate
- Red lead
- Copper carbonate
- Vermillion
- Synthetic dyes
Role of Food Coloring Today
When you think of food coloring, you might immediately picture Easter eggs or those cookies that you baked for your son or daughter's holiday party. You probably picture tiny bottles that come in a package of four, with green, blue, red, and yellow. Those artificial colors certainly are staples in the world of food coloring; however, you might be quite surprised to find out that most all foods include food coloring.
Here are some of the foods which rely heavily on food coloring to provide their characteristic coloring:
- Candy
- Fruit drinks
- Ice cream
- Yogurt
- Jams
- Salad dressing
- Cake mixes
- Baked goods
- Gravy
- Vinegar
- Different types of syrups
- Soda
- Seasonings
- Sauces
- Dairy products
- Fruit fillings
- Meats
- Cheese
- Butter
- Spices
- Green pasta
- Some types of spinach
- Flour
- Bread
- Cereal
- Pastries
- Pickles
- Mustard
- Margarine
- Soup
- Cooking oil
Food coloring has come a long way from the initial discovery of food colorings like saffron by the Ancient Egyptians to the use of food coloring today to enhance a wide variety of foods in the grocery store.