Food has been one of the most basic requirements for the survival of any living being on the planet. But for human beings food is just not the means of satiating their hunger. It is more of means to pamper and satiate the hunger of the senses. We just not eat the food. But we relish it by enjoying its appearance, aroma, texture, touch and taste. Any food item which pampers our senses gives maximum sense of satisfaction on consumption. Eating of food is just not a process but it is more of an art and science which has touched millions of lives in the world.

Taste the food with eyes! 

When any food item comes on the dining table the first and foremost sense organ to relish the food item is our eyes. Looking at the presentation, food color and visual appeal of the food our brain forms a notion whether the food is palatable or not. If the food is nicely presented and has inculcated a good combination of colors then our hands automatically reaches for it. On the other hand dull, boring and unpalatable food will repel the eater just by the looks.

Role of food color in making the food appealing!

Food colours are broadly described as presence of natural or man made pigments in any food item. First thing any human eye will notice about the food is its color. Colour of the food can play a critical role in whetting the appetite of the onlooker. Any food item will get brownie points for its bright and appealing colour.

Types of food coloring:

Food colouring can be broadly classified into

• Natural Food colouring: natural food colors are the natural colour pigments found in any food. Green colour chlorophyll found in green leafy vegetables, yellow pepper, red pepper, violet pigments in egg plant and many more. Yellow colour from saffron not only adds rich colour to the food but it also adds flavour and aroma to the dish. Any cook can add lot of visual appeal to the food by using wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables. Larger the variety in any dish more is the visual appeal and better is the nutrient content of the food item.
• Synthetic food colors or artificial food colors: these are man made food colors added from the top to increase the visual appeal of the food. Synthetic colors are often used in bakery, confectionery items, sweets, candies, fast food and other such items for attracting consumers. Usage of synthetic food color has its own pros and cons. On one hand they can exponentially increase the look and appeal of the food item while it can have adverse effect on the health of the consumer. Government has set many rules and standards regarding the quality of the food colours and quantity of various colours used in various food items. Food industries should adhere to these laws in order to provide best quality to the consumer.