Review of Related Literature

Squash Blossoms

Squash blossoms are edible flowers, usually blossoming from summer or winter squashes. They

usually come in shades of yellow or orange. (World Farmers, n.d.). Squashes, Usually come in different

types, the most common one in the Philippines being Cucurbita maxima L. (calabasa). commonly grown

in the Philippines throughout the year, it is usually grown in home gardens and commercial scales.

(Magsasaka, 2023).

Squash plants are monoecious, meaning they bear both male and female blossoms in one plant.

Female flowers produce the fruit, which is squash, and male blossoms pollinate the females. (Aquino-

Bolaños et al., 2013). Male blossoms can quickly outnumber female blossoms. Female flowers usually

appear a week or two after the males, growing low to the ground and close to the vine. (Ly, 2022).

Squash blossoms are highly perishable and delicate, keeping them for too long will result in them

having an unusual taste and the blossom being not as fresh thus it should be consumed immediately.

(Aquino-Bolaños et al., 2013).

Squash blossoms also contain combined vitamins A and C, which makes them ideal for those

who would like to maintain a healthy diet. One cup of squash blossoms only contains five calories, with

also has one gram of carbohydrates and less than one gram of protein but they are also highly rich in

calcium. (Organic Authority, 2018).

Food Coloring

Food coloring is either a chemical or natural additive that is used to enhance or alter the color of

the food being processed or prepared. Food coloring may be a dye, a pigment, or a substance made for

use with foods. (Food Coloring, n.d.). Since ancient times people have been coloring food, drug, and
cosmetic products. The color of food is an integral part of our culture and enjoyment of life. (Kamatar,

2013). It can be of two types based on its sources, Natural color or Artificial color. (Patil, 2019). Both

naturally extracted and synthetically produced food colors were developed and put into production. Over

more than a century, the increased availability of these industrial food colors resulted in the introduction

of bright and intense colored food products. (NATCOL, n.d.).

The main objective of using colorants in food is to provide a more attractive color for consumers,

which will positively impact sales by being a very important factor in the purchase decision. (Imbarex,

2022). In general, colors are an integral part of humans’ complex and intricate experience with their most

cherished staple foods. Color perception impacts choice and appetite and consequently can even change

the way a consumer evaluates the taste and flavor of food. (IvyPanda, 2021).

Natural Food Coloring

Natural food colors originate from a wide range of sources like vegetables, fruits, spices, or other

edible natural sources. They offer a wide spectrum of colors and impart color when added to food or

drink. Originally existing from natural sources or grown locally. (NATCOL, n.d.).

Natural colorings are extracted or processed entirely from ingredients such as vegetables, tubers, and

fruits which are available in nature. Besides helping foods more attractive, natural colorings were also

recognized to increase the nutritional value of the foods. (WFF, n.d.). The colors produced by natural

dyes and pigments are vibrant. Next, they are not only biodegradable but nontoxic and nonallergic too.

Additionally, natural dyes neither contain harmful chemicals nor carcinogenic components, common to

artificial dyes. (Campbell, 2020).

Natural colors are healthy, but there is a disadvantage in that the color is unstable, you must use a large

amount for good color. (WFF, n.d.). Since natural food colorings are derived from actual food, they might
have their flavor which may affect the taste of the finished product. Some people may be allergic to the

coloring that is derived from the natural product. Natural coloring is also pricier. (Li, n.d.).

Artificial Food coloring

Artificial color is a pigment used to enhance the colors in food products, they are a combination

of seven artificial dyes that have been approved by the food authorities. (Koel Colours, 2022). Most

artificially colored foods are colored with synthetic petroleum-based chemicals, called dyes, that do not

occur in nature. (Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2022).

Artificially synthesized colors are less costly to produce and are attractive in coloring properties,

highly concentrated, and they are widely available and have been used in food, paint, coating, textile, and

plastics industries. (Patil, n.d.). Synthetic dyes can be mass-produced at a fraction of the cost of gathering

and processing the materials used to make natural colorings. Another reason is shelf life. Artificial dyes

might be longer-lasting than natural ones of the same color. (Rohrig, 2015).

Regulatory agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have concluded that the dyes

do not pose significant health risks. Not everyone agrees with that conclusion. Interestingly, some food

dyes are deemed safe in one country, but banned from human consumption in another, making it

extremely confusing to assess their safety. (Rd, 2017). It should be noted that nine dyes in wide use today

in the US are dangerous to some degree, by causing carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, or hypersensitivity.

Food additives may also be a source of allergic reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions to certain foods are

appearing more often than ever, particularly in children, and there is a need for further exploration of the

possible links between allergic reactions and food colorings and flavorings. (News-Medical, 2018).