Has anyone ever texted you a picture of their food at a restaurant?

Or have you sent a picture of your dinner plate to a friend?

I will admit that I text a photo of my food to my family if my meal looks particularly mouthwatering and attractive. Usually I add, “wish you were here enjoying this with me.”

Sometimes they appreciate seeing what I am eating.

According to a survey of people age 18 to 34, nearly 70% have taken a photo of their food and shared it on social media. Further, nearly one of two adults age 35 to 49 snapped a photo, while about one in five people age 50 and older paused to preserve a food memory on their phone.

People eat with their eyes before taking a bite. The color of food often plays a major role in our perception of quality and appeal.

Some foods such as soft drinks, candy and frostings would be colorless or greyish without the addition of food dyes.

Color influences our perception of flavor. Would you be able to tell the flavor of a candy if you were unable to see the candy? Try closing your eyes and trying this taste test.

Commercial foods may contain a variety of food dyes to achieve their specific color. The color’s name might be preceded by FD&C, short for Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or the color may simply be listed by name with a number, such as Yellow 6 or Red 40.

Dyes have been used since the mid-1850s to color foods, drugs and cosmetics.

Butter and cheese were the first foods to be colored to achieve their golden color, especially during winter months. Some farmers used the natural beta-carotene in carrots during winter months. Without the addition of color, the butter and cheese would not have had the yellow or orange color.

In past times, to mimic the color of butter, early margarine manufacturers included a capsule of yellow food coloring. Consumers could mix the capsule with the white margarine at home. 

Early scientists were concerned about the safety of some of the color additives, resulting in some notable requirements. In 1938, the Food and Drug Administration created a system for naming colorants. In 1960, the Delaney Clauses prohibited the use of color additives that were linked to causing cancer in humans or animals.

The safety of a particular colorant in our food supply has been the subject of research for several years. You may have heard about the withdrawal of Red 3 from our food and drug supply. Animal studies have shown its linkage in fairly high doses to cancer in male rats. A direct link to cancer in humans, however, was not linked to this color additive.

Check your favorite red candy or soda to see if Red 3 is listed. Manufacturers will have until January 2027 to reformulate their foods to use another food colorant.

Artificial and naturally sourced colorants are available to color foods. Some natural colors are derived from insect shells, which may cause issues in those allergic to the chemical they contain. Carmine, which imparts a pinkish color, is an example of a natural colorant.

The purpose of this column is not to frighten you about colorful food, of course. If you like your menus to be beautifully colored, explore eating more naturally colored fruits and vegetables. Adults need 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily to meet the current recommendation.

We do not have a daily recommendation for vividly colored candy and soda pop.

Eating more naturally colored fruits and vegetables may lower our risk of cancer and other diseases. In particular, lycopene, the orange-red pigment in tomatoes, is linked with reducing our risk for various types of cancer.

Strawberries and raspberries get their vibrant color from anthocyanin pigments, as do blueberries. They may provide heart health benefits and reduce cancer risk. Red beets are naturally colored by the pigment betanin, which also has health benefits.

For more information about food and color, see NDSU Extension’s “Add Some Color (and Nutrition) to Your Meals.”

This recipe can be personalized with your preferred fruits and greens. It is packed with a variety of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals.

Fruit Smoothie Bowl

½ cup spinach
½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1½ cups frozen fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
2 tablespoons toppings (fresh fruit, granola, coconut, chia seeds, etc.)

Add spinach, yogurt and fruit to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour smoothie in a bowl and top with desired toppings.

Makes two servings. Each serving has 110 calories, 2.5 grams (g) fat, 7 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber and 40 milligrams sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Jan. 30, 2025

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu