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There are many different types of food colours, and there are three main reasons why so many are needed. First, colours have different stabilities. For example, some foods are heated to high temperatures for safety reasons, such as pasteurisation for milk products, and some colours cannot withstand such treatment. Others can fade so quickly that even mild heating will rapidly destroy them. Acid is another factor – some colours are only suitable under acidic conditions and will simply vanish in other types of food.
Secondly, specific forms of colour are needed for different types of food. Oil-soluble colours are needed for products like margarine and processed cheese, while some other cheeses need colours that are water-soluble.
And finally, consumer expectations mean a range of different shades are needed. A single red colour, for example, could never capture the subtle differences between strawberry, raspberry and cherry.
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