foods Review Technological Applications of Natural Colorants in Food Systems: A Review Ivan Luzardo-Ocampo 1 , Aurea K. Ramírez-Jiménez 2 , Jimena Yañez 2 , Luis Mojica 3 and Diego A. Luna-Vital 2,* 1 Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Santiago de Querétaro, QRO 76230, Mexico;
[email protected] 2 Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Science, Avenida Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, Monterrey, N. L. 64849, Mexico;
[email protected] (A.K.R.-J.);
[email protected] (J.Y.) 3 Tecnología Alimentaria, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco (CIATEJ), A. C., Camino Arenero #1227 Col. El Bajío, Zapopan, JAL 45019, Mexico;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Natural colorants have emerged as an alternative to their synthetic counterparts due to an existing health concern of these later. Moreover, natural-food colorants are a renewable option providing health benefits and interesting technological and sensory attributes to the food systems containing them. Several sources of natural colorants have been explored aiming to deliver the required wide color range demanded by consumers. This review aimed to compare and discuss the technological applications of the main natural-food colorants into food system in the last six years, giving additional information about their extraction process. Although natural colorants are promising choices to replace synthetic ones, optimization of processing conditions, research on new sources, and new formulations to ensure stability are required to equate their properties to their Citation: Luzardo-Ocampo, I.; synthetic counterparts. Ramírez-Jiménez, A.K.; Yañez, J.; Mojica, L.; Luna-Vital, D.A.