What Does Food Coloring Expire?

The question of how long does food coloring expire has been popping up all over the place lately. With the price of meat, dairy and fish rising along with the prices on baked goods, many people are wondering if this “trick” of expiration dates really makes sense. It is a good question to ask and it is one that needs to be addressed properly. In this article, we will discuss this interesting subject matter. After reading this article, you should have some good insight on the matter.

First, some very basic information on food coloring and why it actually does not “expire”. Most food colorings are produced from the juice of certain fruits or vegetables. When these colored additives are exposed to light and/or heat, they develop colors in the glass that appear as though they have been colored by “clay”. The actual process that creates the color is much more complex than this but we will leave that for another discussion. The coloring agent(s) used in food coloring do NOT expire.

Food coloring businesses use an” expires” date on their boxes to let customers know that the color is “expired”, but this is not an accurate term. This simply means that the food coloring inside the box has reached the point of no longer being able to be used. This date is usually two to three years after the “expiry date” on the container. Food coloring will degrade over time and begin to turn a grayish color. When the color completely disappears, the shelf life of the product has expired.

There are some foods that are added to food in order to extend the “life” of the food, and these colors will also fade and turn gray, but the” expiry date” does not apply to them. In this case, the only way to tell if the color has reached its “effective use” date is to look at a side-by-side comparison. If you compare apples, grapes, and watermelons side-by-side, you will see that the shades in each example have completely different levels of melanin. Apples with the lowest amount of melanin will appear to be lighter and purple in color, while grapes and watermelons will be more transparent and purple.

There are some foods that will never reach the “expiration” date on the can or package. These include fish that has been imported or farmed, chocolate that has been manufactured, fruit juices, vinegar, and wine. In general, the older a food item gets, the less it will color. For example, if a package of steak has an expiration date of four months, and a can of baked beans has an expiration date of six months, the baked beans will not change in color. However, the steak may begin to brown and may eventually develop a strong, “old” smell.

One other thing to keep in mind is that food coloring or foods with a lot of vegetable oil in them do not necessarily “grow old” more quickly than other foods. Some may have an appearance that lasts for years, while others will begin to lose color as they get older. The key is to pay attention to the expiration dates on packages and make sure your family members are aware of these dates. Following these simple rules will help ensure that your family can enjoy the foods they like for a long time.