Synthetic vs Natural colours.

In a lot of products I am able to use natural colours.  However in water based products this has not been possible.  This is the same for manufacturers of most of the food we eat as well as toys.

I have written a piece on pigments vs dyes in my blog which I hope is of interest to you: 

http://alisonintinyland.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/colourants-dyes-pigments-and-truth.html

 

The main reason Naturals are difficult to work with are:

Some natural red colours are made from crushed beetles (which can also cause an allergic reaction in some people).  

Reds found in vegetables and plants (such as Anthocyanins) can change colour when the PH changes, and some oxidise when in water..which makes for a muddy brown paint!  So obtaining a good quality, stable colour for children to paint and explore colour has meant using safe synthetics.  I only use those which have been approved for food use by the EU.  The EU treat natural and synthetic colourants the same..they are tested for their safety and affects regardless of their source.  That said I would always want to use natural food colours over synthetic where I can and have been able to offer natural colours in some products.