Natural pigments and colorants in foods and bevarages

It is common knowledge that humans are strongly influenced by color. The color phenomenon can have several origins, since dispersion to light absorption, occurring different phenomena that originate a range of colors found in nature. As a matter of fact, color is the first notable characteristic of a food or a beverage and often predetermines our expectation of flavor and taste. In general, consumers recognize colors with natural sources, as yellow of “lemon,” pink of “grapefruit,” red of “strawberries,” and blue of “blueberries.” In the case of beverages, the behavior is quite identical. Since oranges are orange, it is expected that orange-colored drinks present orange flavor. Similarly, red drinks should taste like cherries, and purple drinks should taste like grapes. Indeed, it has been recognized that color constitutes one of the most visual predicates concerning sensory properties, as taste and flavor of food and beverage. Coloring food and beverage is not a new subject matter.