Natural colours vs non artificial colours

[HannahHMT]

Hi guys,

I've been wondering lately what really is the different when a product claims it has natural colours or ingredients vs non-artifical. Do they mean something different? And is that really any better? Are so called natural colours safe because they never clarify on the back of the pack- what these natural ingredients actually are.

I think it's a bit of a red herring tbh. For the thing to have colours in it in the first place, it must be some kind of processed food, robbed of its original colour. Processed foods trying to make out they are superior to other processed foods just because they have 'natural' ingredients is like MacDonalds giving the impression that burgers and chips are the last word in health food just because they use British beef and their adverts feature people running their hands through fields of wheat. Aside from benefiting some people who might be allergic to particular additives, it's mostly marketing.

All food additives, natural or synthetic, have to be approved for human consumption.