A process for the of water soluble chilli colorant formulations having increased fading-resistance to UV light

Chili color consists of carotenoids of which Capsorubin and Capsanthin are the major pigments. These pigments are fat-soluble and have poor stability to oxygen and light. Earlier, preparation of water-soluble colorant using emulsifiers has been reported. But this preparation has poor light stability. Chili color is a natural color in good demand in food processing industries. There is a need for a photostable water-soluble chili colorant. A process for the preparation of a pungency-free water-soluble natural colorant using the pungent and water-insoluble chili oleoresin is hereby described. Pungency is removed from chili oleoresin with selected solvent mixtures get a colour enriched fraction free from pungency. This is made water-soluble by the use of appropriate emulsifiers. The stabilization of this preparation is achieved by incorporating Tertiary Butyl HydroQuinone (TBHQ) a permitted synthetic antioxidant and piperine from black pepper.