Previously published on myRegence.com

Research shows that the color of food greatly effects our how we think it will taste. Bright colors usually mean bright, vibrant flavors will follow. Once we take a bite, if our taste buds register the same flavors, chances are we’ll enjoy the food and want to eat it again. Especially when it comes to processed food.

Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state for safety reasons or to satisfy our need for quick and convenient meals. But by canning, drying, freezing, cooking, refrigerating, dehydrating and storing foods, they lose most of their flavor and naturally-occurring color. That’s why many processed food manufactures have turned to artificial colors and flavors so they can make their product look and taste more like the real thing.

Artificial Color
We all associate certain colors with specific flavors: red = strawberry or tomato; blue = blueberry; orange = cheddar cheese, etc. Food manufacturers understand this psychological link and use artificial colors to entice us to eat their products. In the United States, the FDA has tested and approved seven synthetic food dies as safe for human consumption: FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red Nov. 40, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and FD&C Yellow No. 6. These dies are usually created from coal tar (a by-product when coal is carbonized) and petroleum. How’s that for tasty?

Artificial Flavor
Instead of creating their own flavors, food processors rely on flavor companies. These companies employ what is known as a flavorist – a specially trained scientist who has vast knowledge of the human palate. The flavorist (or flavor chemist) uses aroma chemicals, essential oils, botanical extracts and essences to create natural and artificial flavorings for a variety of foods and beverages. For example, to produce a more succulent orange juice, a flavorist can mix ethyl butyrate (a common aroma chemical) with another aroma chemical, acetaldehyde.

When you see the words “natural flavors” written on a food label, it means the flavoring substance is derived from a plant or an animal. Artificial flavor on the other hand is produced by fractional distillation and additional chemicals from things like crude oil or tar. How does that slice of cherry-topped cheesecake sound now?

Personally I prefer the real thing when it comes to color and flavor. Please join me in skipping the box and making meals from scratch using real ingredients.

Happy – and healthy – eating!



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