We know that colors influence our mood and around this idea an entire psychology of color has been developed that analyzes our reactions to the perception of a certain color in our environment. Thus, for example, red is associated with passion, orange with joy and youth, green with hope and blue with tranquility. And if colors are important in the environment that surrounds us, it is no less important in food, and depending on the color of food we perceive it to be more or less tasty.
Colorful food
Food first enters us through sight and depending on its color we can feel attracted to it or, on the contrary, totally reject it. This is something that food manufacturers know and is the main reason for the use of colors in food. Because it is not only about the color of a fresh food, but about the attractiveness that it is capable of generating in the long process until it is consumed at the table.
It seems that the red color in food is preferred by the consumer in any part of the world, followed by orange and yellow. In any case, these are colors that foods have naturally. Therefore, when we are faced with an unusual color in a food, we tend to reject it. That is something that happens, for example, with blue and, to a lesser extent, with purple.
When a food turns blue, it generally implies that it is in poor condition and that we can become intoxicated, hence the unconscious rejection that foods of this hue produce in us, including jellies and ice cream, which are the least consumed. For its part, green is a more accepted color and, although the green color in meat is also a sign of toxicity, it is a color that is more related to vegetables and, therefore, to the safety of eating food. Healthy.
Food dyes
Controversial food dyes play a fundamental role in the final appearance of food. They are controversial because it has not been possible to demonstrate that they are not harmful to health and, however, what has been shown is that they do not interfere with the quality and conservation of the product . Therefore, its use would be useless.
Manufacturers using colorants in food are asked to use as little as possible, be easily incorporated into the food, be unaffected by changes in light or heat, and not have an unpleasant odor or taste. And, of course, that it does not endanger the health of the people who ingest it. However, these recommendations are not always followed and there have been cases of intolerance to some dyes, causing health problems such as chronic hives or asthma .
Controversy will continue to surround the use of food dyes, but there is no doubt about how the appearance and color of food affects our predisposition to consume it.