|
|
Colors in Our Lives
At an early age, we learn to associate colors with our environment. Indeed, many behavioral studies confirm that color influences our perceptions about the world around us – including our judgements about the quality and appeal of the products we buy and use.
For example, experience conditions us to associate color with the odor, flavor and texture of a food. Color also influences our preferences for everything from toothpastes to shampoos . In addition, using colors to identify medications is an important safety feature that helps patients and health care professionals distinguish one product from another.
For these many reasons, people have been coloring foods, drugs, and cosmetic products for thousands of years. As far back as ancient Egypt, Cleopatra used pigments to make a number of cosmetic products. The Romans used spices such as saffron to flavor and also color certain foods. Similarly, records show that butter was colored yellow as far back as the 1300s.
Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the colorants used in foods, drugs and cosmetics were materials easily obtained from natural sources (animals, vegetables and minerals). However, in 1856 a British scientist, Sir William Henry Perkin, discovered the first synthetic dye –mauve – and the process for coloring foods, drugs and cosmetics was revolutionized by a whole new array of colorants. From that time on, the development of new synthetic colors and the refinement of colorants from natural sources has been a high priority for the color industry resulting in the creation of a variety of appealing products to meet consumer needs.
