Erythrosine Lake is an insoluble pigment form of erythrosine dye (E127, CI 45430:1). This lake colour is made by precipitating a water-soluble dye mixed with an insoluble substrate that is usually aluminum hydroxide. This process creates a colour that is oil-dispersible and more stable in dry or fat-based applications.
Erythrosine Lake is used where the colour should not dissolve in water, such as confectionery coatings, bakery decorations, tablets or capsules, dry mixes, chewing gum coatings, and fat-based products. It provides bright pink to cherry-red colouring to products and makes them appealing to customers, which attracts their attention.
History of Erythrosine Lake
Erythrosine dye was first developed during the late nineteenth century at a time when synthetic food colour technology was evolving. During the twentieth century, it became widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries around the world because of its ability to provide a bright pink-red appearance to products. Later, manufacturers required the same colour shade that did not bleed in coatings, worked in oil/fat systems, and had better light and heat stability in dry applications, so they developed Erythrosine Lake colour.
Technical properties of Erythrosine Lake
| Property | Description |
| Colour Shade | Bright Pink to Cherry Red |
| Form | Fine Powder / Granules |
| Solubility | Insoluble in Water |
| Best Applications | Dry, coated and fat-based products |
| Heat Stability | Moderate (application dependent) |
| Light Stability | Improved over water-soluble dye in many coating applications |
Common Applications of Erythrosine Lake
Erythrosine Lake is widely used in many industries around the world. In the food industry, it is used in Hard candy coatings, sugar-coated products, decorative candies, Icings, sprinkles, decorative toppings, and powder-based food products. In pharmaceuticals industry, it is used to coat tablets and capsules, as well as other medicines. Erythrosine Lake is also used in cosmetic and personal care products such as lipsticks, blushes, body lotions, and nail polishes.
Regulatory compliance on Erythrosine Lake
Erythrosine Lake, or FD&C Red No. 3 Lake, is regulated by various governmental bodies around the world. To fulfill this regulatory compliance and sell or export their products without any legal consequences, manufacturers should use Supra Erythrosine Lake in their products, which ensures purity, heavy metal limits, residual manufacturing impurities, aluminum content, microbiological quality, and application-specific usage limits in colours. Most of the authorities check these things before approving colourants for use in products. Also, manufacturers should always verify current regulatory compliance on colours before starting to use them.
| Region | Status |
| United States | Regulatory changes are underway; always verify current FDA requirements before formulating |
| European Union | Permitted in specified food categories |
| United Kingdom | Permitted for specified uses |
| India | Permitted subject to FSSAI regulations |
| Australia & New Zealand | Permitted for specified uses |
If you are seeking premium-quality Erythrosine Lake colour for your products, you can purchase it from Ajanta Food Colours, a leading synthetic food colour manufacturer in India with over 75 years of legacy. Ajanta fulfils all the regulatory standards set by various governmental bodies and exports its colours, including Erythrosine Lake, around the world.
For its products' quality and safety, the company has received numerous awards and certifications from India and global authorities, including the Arch of Europe Award, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Award, and certifications from the FSSAI, US FDA, Halal, Star-K Kosher, Alcumus ISOQAR, and FSSC 22000.
Conclusion
Erythrosine Lake is an insoluble pigment that offers a bright pink to cherry-red colour to products, which makes them more appealing and helps to boost sales and improve the product’s brand recognition in the market. It is commonly used in coatings, oil/fat based products, and on products having direct contact with light or heat. By sourcing Erythrosine Lake from Ajanta Food Colours, manufacturers can maintain their products' visual appeal during the product manufacturing and storage and also sell in the local market or export to the international market without any issue.
To know more about Ajanta Food Colours’ Supra Erythrosine Lake, or for any other information, please contact us today.