Food Colouring

[johnfb]

Has anyone tried food colouring in their sausage making.
I was thinking of adding some red food colouring to some of my blends as the paprika sometimes does not give a red enough colour.
Maybe a teaspoon in Oddleys Chilli Willies, purely for effect only. I am thinking a nice red colour will let you know they are going to be different and possibly spicy...eating with your eyes and all that. Salamis and Chorizo spring to mind, nice red colour.
Any comments on this??

[wheels]

John, the only comment I can think of is YUK!

Phil

[johnfb]

I know...but think of chicken tikka masala. If this was served in it natural colourless state most people would think there was something wrong with it...but add a teaspoon of red coulor and there you have it.
So the question is if I served you up a sausage and told you it was a hot chilli flavoured one and it was redish in colour would you think it looked weird???

[wheels]

Oops, I do my tikka without!

I'm generally against additional colourings but I guess it depends on what the colouring is, and what it's made of?

Not for veggies:

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp

Or, positively good for you:

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39114

But not the dreaded Red 2G

http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/aug/redban

What were you thinking of, Annato maybe?

Phil

Added Later:

Of course, in a fresh sausage, the obvious thing would be nitrite!

(not that obvious or I'd have thought of it before!)

[johnfb]

Quote from link:
EFSA is currently re-evaluating the safety of all food colourings. EFSA's evaluation showed that in laboratory tests one food colouring, Red 2G (E128) may have the potential to damage the genetic material in cells and cause cancer in animals.


I would use red E124 and sunset yellow E110 which is in a bottle of red food colouring I use for some indian dishes and homemade icecream.

I might give it a go, in the near future, in some chilli sausages and take a photo of them to see what everyone thinks. Its really just for the look of them...although I huess a good spoonful of paprika might just do the same.

Thanks for all the info and scary data in your post...Jeeez, it's hardly worth eating anything these days.



EDIT:

Holy Crap....
http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e124.htm
A red synthetic coal tar or azo dye found in dessert toppings, jelly, salami, seafood dressings, tinned strawberries and fruit pie fillings and packeted cake mixes, cheesecakes, soups and trifles.


It appears to cause allergic and/or intolerance reactions particularly amongst those with an aspirin intolerance or asthmatics. Carcinogen in animals.

Not recommended for consumption by children.

The Hyperactive Childrens Support Group belive that a link exists between this additive and hyperactive behavioural disorders in children.

It is banned in Norway and the United States.


E110
http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e110.htm



A synthetic 'coal tar' and azo yellow dye used in fermented foods which must be heat treated. Found in orange squash, orange jelly, marzipan, Swiss roll, apricot jam, citrus marmalade, lemon curd, sweets, hot chocolate mix and packet soups, breadcrumbs, cheese sauce, ice cream, canned fish, and many medications.

Side effects are urticaria (hives), rhinitis (runny nose), nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumors, chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, distaste for food; increased incidence of tumors in animals.

It appears to cause allergic and/or intolerance reactions, particularly amongst those with an aspirin intolerance.

Not recommended for consumption by children.

The Hyperactive Childrens Support Group belive that a link exists between this additive and hyperactive behavioural disorders in children.

Whilst being a commonly used colour in the UK its use is banned in Norway and Finland.



OK forget the food colouring

[wheels]

Why not Nitrite?

[johnfb]

For Colour?

[wheels]

Yes. Whilst I'm not suggesting you do it for a minute, cure #1 at about 40-60PPM would give the meat a red colour - the colour that you get in cheap sausage. Sodium Ascorbate/Ascorbic Acid would probably do the same thing.

Phil

[wittdog]

Just add a TBLS of Paprika per 10lbs...Paprika works well as a carrier and doesn't taste like much but will get you some of that red color

[johnfb]

Just add a TBLS of Paprika per 10lbs...Paprika works well as a carrier and doesn't taste like much but will get you some of that red color

I think this is the way forward. Cant be too much in Paprika.....
Cheers Guys.

[saucisson]

Only natural human byproducts