STABLE LIGHT NATURAL YELLOW COLORANT SYSTEMS FOR PICKLED AND FERMENTED VEGETABLE APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The present invention comprises a novel natural yellow coloring system for enhancing the appearance of pickled and / or fermented vegetable products. Individually, all-natural yellow pigments failed light stability investigations in pickled and / or fermented vegetable products—either the yellow hue of the brine solution faded, or the vegetable flesh / skin turned white, or both. Remarkably, combinations of these same individual natural yellow pigments not only created brine and vegetable coloring hues comparable to FD&C Yellow #5 products but also remained stable in accelerated light stability investigations designed to replicate the real-time shelf life of the products.

Description

STABLE LIGHT NATURAL YELLOW COLORANT SYSTEMS FOR PICKLED AND FERMENTED VEGETABLE APPLICATIONS FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a novel composition comprising a combination of natural yellow pigments for use in pickled and / or fermented vegetables that enhances the overall appearance and remains stable throughout the product's shelf life. More particularly, one of the yellow pigments is brine-soluble, while an additional yellow pigment penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetables. The appearance (hue) of the combination of natural yellow pigments in pickled and / or fermented vegetables, both during manufacturing and at the end of the shelf life, is comparable to that of synthetically derived tartrazine (also known as FD&C Yellow #5, chemically known as 5-hydroxy-1-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-4-[(E)-(4-sulfonatophenyl)diazenyl]-1H-trisodium pyrazol-3-carboxylate). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pickling, or preserving vegetables in vinegar, brine, or a similar solution, is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. Although the exact origins of the process are unknown, archaeologists believe that the ancient Mesopotamians began soaking cucumbers in acidic brine to preserve them as early as 2400 BC. Several centuries later, cucumbers native to India were being pickled in the Tigris Valley. Since then, they have been a staple food in cultures around the world, prized for their rich flavor, health benefits, and delicious taste. Pickles were first brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus. Like many explorers, Columbus traveled with them because they could survive long voyages and helped prevent scurvy. By the 19th century, H.J. Heinz Company, Inc. had cornered the market thanks to some truly ingenious marketing strategies.At the beginning of the 21st century, Americans alone ate more than 2 million pounds of pickles a year. Most pickles today are produced using one of three methods: refrigerated, fresh-packed, or processed (also called cured or fermented). Each of these methods creates distinct flavors and textures. In the chilled process, vegetables, colorings, and other ingredients are added to the brine. In this process, the jars are not pasteurized and therefore must be refrigerated. This can result in a better pickle texture since the raw cucumbers are not exposed to the heat generated by pasteurization. Some fermentation can be expected during shelf life due to the lack of heat processing. For fresh jar processing, washed, cleaned, and sliced ​​cucumbers are placed in a brine of vinegar and salt (sugar is also included in sweet pickles and seasonings) and left to soak. Colorings, preservatives, and other ingredients are added at this stage. The jars are then heat-pasteurized at 82–85°C for 30 minutes. Fresh jar pickles are shelf-stable and can be kept at room temperature until opened. In the fermentation process, the vegetables are completely submerged in brine and left to ferment for 4-6 weeks. Different flavors can be produced by varying the temperature range (18-29°C) and the duration of the fermentation time. Once the fermentation process is complete, fresh brine and colorings are added. The jars are then pasteurized to complete the processing. Conditions are created in which Lactobacillus thrives (absence of oxygen, optimal salt content, no added acid, and a pH of 4-6) and produces lactic acid and other metabolites that contribute to the long-term flavor and quality. During these production processes, a variety of flavors are achieved by adding different herbs, spices, and seasonings to the pickling brines. The brines for these three processes can vary widely, with vinegar concentrations ranging from 0 to 40%, salt from 2 to 8%, and sugar concentrations from 0 to 20%. Each variety is generally packaged whole or cut in half, in bars, sticks, chunks, pieces, salad or condiment cubes, or sliced ​​lengthwise for sandwiches. To prevent pickled and / or fermented vegetable products from discoloring while on supermarket shelves, manufacturers often add yellow dye to enhance their natural color. Most modern consumers associate the freshness and good taste of pickles with a yellow hue. Most commercial brands of pickled and / or fermented vegetable products currently use tartrazine, an artificial lemon-yellow dye derived from coal tar. Tartrazine is also known as FD&C Yellow No. 5. It is also a popular yellow food coloring used in ice cream, soft drinks, and fish fingers. Tartrazine has been linked to asthma, skin rashes, and migraine headaches, and has been the focus of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis studies as a possible foodborne carcinogen. Worldwide, food regulatory agencies have banned or requested voluntary withdrawal of the colorant by food manufacturers; FD&C Yellow #5 and / or FD&C Yellow #6 are banned or restricted, for example, in Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Austria. Furthermore, recent trends have shown a growing consumer desire to replace artificial ingredients (flavorings, preservatives, colorings, etc.) with natural alternatives (i.e., clean label). Natural colorings can offer an advantage for use in food products because these products can be packaged with a clean label designation, which provides a significant benefit and is widely accepted by consumers. Approaches to stabilize the natural yellow pigment of turmeric (Curcuma langa) have been unsuccessful. Neither the addition of stabilizers nor the encapsulation of turmeric with a light-protective material proved successful. Buescher and Yang (1990) describe the use of aluminum to protect turmeric in pickle brine against decomposition by light, heat, and peroxidase. (Buescher R. and Yang L. 1990 J Food Biochem 14 (4) 263-271. Aluminum Stabilizes Turmeric in Pickle Brine Against Decomposition by Light, Heat and Peroxidase). Peroxidase destruction of turmeric was non-competitively inhibited by Al3+. Turmeric decomposition increased with increasing temperature from 20 to 90°C. No thermal destruction of turmeric was observed in the presence of 2 or 4 mM Al3+. However, aluminum is not a clean-label alternative in food products. Malacrida et al. (2014) unsuccessfully explored the microencapsulation of turmeric oleoresin using modified starch and gelation to create a water-dispersible, light-stable powder form (Malacrida CR, Ferreira S. and Zuanon A. AC; Telis VRN 2014. J Food Processing and Preservation. 39 (6) 1710-1719. Freeze-drying for microencapsulation of turmeric oleoresin using modified starch and gelatin). Jarat et al. (2017) used different emulsifiers to create emulsified turmeric in an attempt to improve stability (Kharat M, Du Z, Zhang G and McClements DJ. 2014. J Agrie Food Chem. Mar 1. 65 (8):1525-32. Physical and Chemical Stability of Curcumin in Aqueous Solutions and Emulsions: Impact of pH, Temperature, and Molecular Environment). This approach comes with the caveat that the most effective emulsifying ingredients are not natural and therefore not clean label and / or kosher. Furthermore, none of the previously reported approaches succeeded in stabilizing turmeric in the final vegetable application, such as pickles. Another natural pigment that has been considered to replace FD&C Yellow #5 in pickled and / or fermented vegetable products is carotenoids extracted from carrots (Daucus carota) or carotenoids derived from algae or fungi. Synthetic carotenoids may also be considered for this purpose. Although carotenoids provide a yellow hue comparable to FD&C Yellow #5 and are stable in brine, they are not absorbed or adsorbed by vegetables. As such, the vegetables appear white when removed from the jars for consumption. Another natural ingredient that has been investigated as a replacement for FD&C Yellow No. 5 in pickled and / or fermented vegetable products is riboflavin. However, the presence of riboflavin in pickled and / or fermented vegetables negatively impacts flavor. Another natural pigment that could be considered to replace FD&C Yellow #5 in pickled and / or fermented vegetable products is safflower (Carthamus tinctorius). However, safflower is not currently approved by the FDA as a color additive in pickled and / or fermented vegetable products. Therefore, a need remains in the field for a new natural yellow coloring system for coloring pickled and / or fermented vegetable products. There is an additional requirement that the new natural coloring system be comparable to FD&C Yellow #5 in hue and performance (stability). The natural pigments must also have a stable shelf life in low-pH, high-salt brine solutions. Finally, because most pickled and / or fermented vegetable products are marketed in clear glass jars, the new natural coloring system must also be light-stable throughout the product's shelf life. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide new natural yellow coloring systems (clean label) to improve the appearance of pickled and / or fermented vegetable products, in which the vegetable color remains stable throughout the shelf life of the products. It is a further object of the invention to provide novel combinations of clean-label coloring compositions that can be used in a coloring process of pickled and / or fermented vegetable products, where the color of the vegetable products remains stable over time, the shelf life of the products. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a natural colorant composition for coloring pickled and / or fermented vegetables comprising two or more natural colorants. The composition of natural colorant, wherein at least one of the natural colorants is soluble in brine and stable to light. The natural colorant composition, where at least one of the natural colorants is adsorbed or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable and is unstable in light. The natural colorant composition, wherein at least one of the natural colorants is soluble in brine and stable to light and wherein at least one of the natural colorants is unstable to light and adsorbs or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable. The composition of natural colorant, wherein the natural colorant that is soluble in brine and stable to light is an extract derived from carrot, Daucus carota. The composition of natural colorant, where the colorant is unstable in light and adsorbs or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable and is an extract derived from turmeric (Curcuma longo). The natural colorant composition, comprising a combination of extracts of Curcuma langa comprising curcuminoids and Daucus carota comprising carotenoids. The composition of natural colorant, where the curcuminoid content is present in an amount of 1-260 ppm and the carotenoid content is present in an amount of 0.2-50 ppm. The composition of natural coloring, where the pickled and / or fermented vegetables are selected from the group consisting of cucumber, cauliflower, onion, carrot, cabbage, watermelon, beetroot, pepper and combinations thereof. The natural colorant composition, wherein the natural colorant that is brine-soluble and light-stable is zeaxanthin derived from ripe yellow bell pepper pod pulp or other natural sources and wherein the zeaxanthin content is 0.1-50 ppm. The natural colorant composition, wherein the natural colorant that is brine-soluble and light-stable is a safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) extract, and wherein the safflower extract content is 100-1000 ppm of Ei% 27.6 color intensity or equivalent specification. The natural colorant composition, wherein the natural colorant that is brine-soluble and light-stable is a yellow beetroot (Beta vulgaris) extract, and wherein the concentration of yellow beetroot extract is 10-100,000 ppm of Ei% 0.375 or equivalent specification. The natural colorant composition, wherein the natural colorant that is brine-soluble and light-stable is an extract of gardenia yellow (Gardenia jasminoides), wherein the concentration of gardenia yellow extract is 1-1000 ppm of Ei% 87 or equivalent specification. The composition of natural colorant, wherein the natural colorant that is soluble in brine and stable to light is synthetic β-carotene, wherein the carotene content is 0.2 - 50 ppm. The composition of natural colorant, wherein the natural colorant that is soluble in brine and stable to light is lutein derived from marigold (Tagetes erecta) or the pulp of the pod of ripe yellow bell pepper fruit or other natural sources, wherein the carotenoid content in the composition is 0.2 - 50ppm. The composition of natural colorant, wherein the natural colorant that is soluble in brine and stable to light is β-carotene from algae or fungi, wherein the carotenoid content in the composition is 0.2-50 ppm. The natural colorant composition comprises a combination of a light-stable natural colorant, which is a Curcuma langa extract comprising curcuminoids, and a light-stable natural colorant selected from the group consisting of carrot extract comprising carotenes, gardenia yellow extract in an amount of 1-1000 ppm of Ei% 87 or equivalent specification, yellow beet extract in an amount of 10-100,000 ppm of Ei% 0.375 or equivalent specification, safflower extract in an amount of 100-1000 ppm of Ei% 27.6 color power or equivalent specification, yellow paprika ripe fruit pod pulp extract comprising zeaxanthin in an amount of 0.150 ppm, marigold extract comprising lutein in an amount of 0.1-50 ppm, and a β-carotene derived from fungi or algae in an amount of 0.2-50 ppm. ppm. The natural colorant composition also includes industry-approved, natural, clean-label diluents / emulsifiers. A method for coloring pickled and / or fermented vegetables comprising treating the vegetables with an effective amount of the natural colorant composition and further preparing, pickling, processing and / or packaging the vegetables. The method in which pickled and / or fermented vegetables are colored with at least one natural colorant that is soluble in brine and stable to light and in which at least one natural colorant that is unstable to light is adsorbed and / or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable, and in which the vegetable retains a desired hue over time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and are not limited by the figures in the accompanying drawings, in which the same references may indicate similar elements and in which: Figure 1 shows the lack of color stability in freshly packaged pickles when turmeric extract is formulated as a natural colorant. The jar on the left in Figure 1 shows the pickles at time zero, while the jar on the right shows the color loss after only 2 hours of exposure to light (50 W / m²). Figure 2 shows the lack of color stability in freshly packaged gherkins (after 79 hours of exposure to light at 50 W / m²) when turmeric extract is formulated as a natural colorant only. Sample 1: 14 ppm curcuminoids / gum arabic, Sample 2: 18.8 ppm curcuminoids / gum arabic, Sample 3: 28.1 ppm curcuminoids / gum arabic, and Sample 4: 15 ppm curcuminoids / polysorbate 80. Figure 3 shows the absence of color in a pickled cucumber colored with carrot extract (1.5 ppm carotenoids). Next to it are cucumbers colored with a combination of turmeric (13 ppm curcuminoids) and carrot extract (1.5 ppm carotenoids) and turmeric alone (13 ppm curcuminoids), both of which are colored. Figure 4 shows the color stability in freshly packaged gherkins (after 79 hours of exposure to light at 50 W / m²) when turmeric extract and carrot extract were formulated as the natural coloring system. The curcuminoid concentration in the turmeric extract sample was 14 ppm; the combined turmeric extract and carrot extract sample contained 14 ppm of curcuminoids and 1.5 ppm of carotenes. Figure 5 shows the stability of the color of freshly packaged gherkins after 1 year of storage at room temperature at 200–300 lux compared to the control (samples stored in darkness). The curcuminoid concentration in the turmeric extract sample was 14 ppm; the combined turmeric and carrot extract sample contained 14 ppm of curcuminoids and 1.5 ppm of carotenes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The terminology used herein is intended to describe particular modalities only and is not intended to be limiting to the invention. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed elements. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include both the plural and singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It shall be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more additional features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. It is further understood that terms, as defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted in a way that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present invention, and not in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein. The specific embodiments described herein may be further limited in the claims by using the phrases "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of." When used in the claims, whether as presented or added by amendment, the transitional term "consisting of" excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claims. The transitional term "consisting essentially of" limits the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel features. As used herein, the term comprising or includes is intended to mean that the compositions and methods include the listed elements, but do not exclude others. As used herein, the terms optionally or optionally mean that the event or condition described below may not occur, and that the description includes instances in which the event or condition occurs and instances in which it does not occur. The term effective quantity refers to the amount of a compound or combined composition that is sufficient to produce a yellow color in a refrigerated, fresh-packed or processed (cured or fermented) pickled or brined vegetable product, the color of which remains stable throughout the product's shelf life. Stability is the state of resistance to change. Hue stability according to the invention means the stability of the pigments and / or color in the plant product. It can be measured in terms of maintaining the hue angle or other parameters measured by a colorimeter or as visually observed. A desired shade of the plant product may be a yellow shade that is essentially comparable to the shade observed using tartrazine (also known as FD&C Yellow #5, chemically known as 5-hydroxy-l-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-4-[(E)-(4-sulfonatophenyl)diazenyl]-lH-trisodium pyrazol-3-carboxylate) to color the plant product. Light stability is the retention of color in a solution and / or plant product over time under ultraviolet or phosphorescent lighting conditions. Light-stable natural colorants / pigments will retain their color to a greater degree compared to light-sensitive / light-unstable natural colorants / pigments. Natural colorants / pigments may be soluble in brine. Light-stable natural colorants / pigments retain their hue over time when added to brine. In one embodiment, a natural colorant composition may be a brine comprising a combination of natural extracts, wherein at least one of the colorants / pigments in the extract is light-stable and at least one of the colorants / pigments is light-unstable, and wherein the colorants / pigments are contained in the brine in quantities effective to impart a desired hue to a plant product. As used in this document, the term shelf life refers to the period of time that pickled and / or fermented vegetable products retain the desired color. The shelf life of pickled and / or fermented vegetable products may be, for example, at least one month, at least three months, at least six months, at least nine months, or at least one year, under ambient conditions. Environmental conditions for pickled and / or fermented vegetable products may include storage under ambient lighting conditions, such as ambient fluorescent lighting. Pickled or brined vegetable products can be produced by refrigerated, freshly packed or processed (cured or fermented) methods that are known to experts in the technique. The brines for these three processes can vary considerably, with vinegar concentrations ranging from 0 to 40%, salt from 2 to 8%, and sugar concentrations from 0 to 20%. Each vegetable variety can be packaged whole or cut in half, in bars, sticks, fragments, chunks, salad cubes or condiments, or sliced. In one embodiment, the natural colorant compositions of the invention encompass brine solutions comprising combinations of natural colorants / pigments. nAcccn / zznz / q / υιλι / υιλι In one embodiment, the natural colorant compositions of the invention encompass solutions or concentrated powders comprising combinations of natural colorants / pigments for dilution in natural coloring systems for coloring plants. The term carrot extract or carrot extract refers to an extract of a member of the genus Daucus carota. Carrot extract comprises carotenoids and carotenes that can be used as pigments. Carrot extracts are combined with the plant product according to the amount of carotenes present in the extract. In one embodiment, the carotenes / carotenoids can be derived and / or isolated from carrot, algae, or fungal sources. In another embodiment, the carotenes can be derived synthetically by chemical means. The term turmeric extract or turmeric refers to an extract of a member of the genus Curcuma loriga. Turmeric extract comprises curcuminoids, which can be used as pigments. Turmeric extracts are combined with the plant product according to the amount of curcuminoids present in the extract. The term "yellow paprika extract" or "yellow paprika" refers to an extract of the pod pulp of the fruit of the paprika plant, Capsicum annuum, which exhibits zeaxanthin in the pod pulp of the dried, mature fruit. The mass of zeaxanthin, when measured in its non-esterified form, is greater than 0.4% of the total mass of the dried pod pulp of the mature fruit, and zeaxanthin is the dominant carotenoid when measured in its non-esterified form. Yellow paprika extracts are combined with the plant product according to the amount of zeaxanthin present in the extract. The term safflower refers to an extract from a member of the genus Carthamus, for example, Carthamus tinctorius. The term yellow beetroot refers to an extract from the root of a member of the genus Beta, for example, Beta vulgaris. The term gardenia yellow refers to an extract of the yellow fruits of a member of the genus Gardenia, for example, Gardenia jasminoides. In one modality, the natural colorants / pigments may be in the form of an oleoresin, i.e., an extract prepared from, for example, Curcuma langa, Daucus carota, Carthamus tinctorius, Tagetes erecta, Gardenia jasminoides, Beta vulgaris and yellow / orange paprika Capsicum annuum, using organic solvents such as acetone, ethanol and / or hexane. In one modality, the natural colorants / pigments may be in purified form, for example, curcuminoids (which do not contain essential turmeric oils), carotenoids, carotenes, lutein and zcaxanthin. The emulsifiers defined in this application as clean label emulsifiers may be selected from, for example, q-natural, gum arabic, hop acids and hop fractions. In describing the invention, it is understood that several techniques and steps are being described. Each of these has an individual benefit, and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other techniques described. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, the description will refrain from unnecessarily repeating all possible combinations of the individual steps. However, the specification and the claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope and invention of the claims. This document discusses novel and new compositions of natural yellow pigment for use in pickled and / or fermented vegetable applications that improve overall appearance and remain stable throughout the product's shelf life. The following description, for explanatory purposes, sets forth numerous specific details to provide a complete understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to a person skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without these specific details. The present description should be considered as an example of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or the description below. Individual all-natural yellow pigments from the coloring systems of the invention were evaluated for coloring vegetable products. These natural yellow pigments individually failed in light stability tests in pickled and / or fermented vegetable products. Specifically, the yellow hue of the brine solution faded, the pulp / skin of the vegetable remained white, or both. Surprisingly, all-natural yellow pigments, when used in combination, provided natural colorant systems for use in pickled and / or fermented vegetable products, whose natural colorants penetrate the vegetable product to provide the desired hue and / or provide hue stability in the vegetable for product aesthetics and consumer acceptability. Combinations of individual natural yellow pigments not only created shades comparable to FD&C Yellow #5 in both brine and vegetable products, but, remarkably, remained stable in both accelerated light stability studies designed to mimic real-time product shelf life and in real-time shelf-life studies for one year at room temperature under normal light. In preferred configurations, at least one of the yellow pigments is brine-soluble and light-stable, while an additional yellow pigment, although it may have some brine solubility and is light-unstable, has a greater affinity for and penetrates pickled and / or fermented vegetables. The present invention will now be described by representing preferred embodiments, showing stability research data and referring to the accompanying figures. Example 1. Carrot extract in freshly packaged pickles. The coloring effect of carrot extract on vegetables was studied by pickling cucumbers in brine containing carrot extract at various concentrations in the brine. The cucumbers were packed fresh according to known methods in the art. Investigations using carrot extract on freshly packed pickles revealed that the carrot extract produced a brine with a yellow hue comparable to the yellow hue of FD&C Yellow #5 pickles at time zero and was light-stable. However, stability investigations revealed that carrot extracts containing 1.5 ppm carotenes (sample 1 in Table 1) or 3 ppm carotenes (sample 2 in Table 1) did not adsorb or penetrate the pickles, resulting in white pickles. This is confirmed by the lower b* values ​​and lower hue angles measured on the lances when removed from the brine. See the results in Table 1. Table 1. Colorimetry of pickled pulp for the investigation of example 1. Sample L* a* b* Tone Angle Chroma 1 60.2 -3.0 5.2 -57.5 6.0 2 60.2 -3.0 5.2 -57.5 6.0 3 53.4 -7.2 32.6 -77.3 29.1 4 55.6 -7.1 33.1 -77.9 33.9 L* refers to lightness, with a higher number indicating a whiter sample. a* represents the red-green component, with red in the positive direction and green in the negative direction. b* represents the yellow-blue component, with yellow in the positive direction and blue in the negative direction. The hue angle refers to the perceived hue and is calculated from the a* and b* values. Chroma is defined as the strength or saturation of the color. The formulas are: Pitch angle = tan-1(—) Chroma = (a2+ b2) a*' A portable colorimeter (CM700 D) was used in reflectance mode (source D 65, observer 10o) for this and subsequent studies. Example 2. Turmeric extract in freshly packaged gherkins at different concentrations. The coloring effect of turmeric extract on vegetables was studied by pickling cucumbers in brine containing turmeric extract at various concentrations in the brine. The cucumbers were packed fresh according to known methods in the art. Research using turmeric extract in stability studies of freshly packaged pickles revealed that the turmeric extract initially produced a yellow hue comparable to that of FD&C Yellow #5 pickles; however, it was neither brine-stable nor light-stable in the cucumbers after only 2 hours. (See Figure 1). Figure 3 shows the color of freshly packaged gherkins treated with natural colorants: carrot extract alone, a combination of carrot and turmeric extracts, or turmeric extract alone. The colorimetry of the gherkin pulp treated with these natural colorant compositions is shown in Table 1. When turmeric extract alone, containing 13 ppm curcuminoids, was used (sample 3), the gherkins were colored as seen from the highest b* values ​​and the highest hue angles. The turmeric-treated gherkins also had significantly higher chroma values ​​compared to those treated with carrot extract alone (samples 1 and 2). When a combination of turmeric and carrot extracts, containing approximately 13 ppm curcuminoids and 1.5 ppm carotenes, was used (sample 4), the gherkins were colored. Table 2 shows the colorimetric readings (CM700 D portable colorimeter) of the cucumbers colored with turmeric extract at time zero and after 2 hours of exposure to light at 50 W / m2. The extreme change in the b* value after only 2 hours of light exposure is noteworthy. Table 2. L*a*b* results for the stability investigation of Example 2. Sample L* a* b* Chroma Time zero 17.34 -0.08 17.3 17.3 2 hours 12.97 -0.03 8.37 8.37 It can be concluded that neither carrot extract nor turmeric extract alone could adequately replace FD&C Yellow #5 in freshly packaged pickle applications. Carrot extract was unsuccessful due to a lack of absorption or penetration into the pickles, while turmeric extract was not stable in light, brine, or cucumber. Example 3. Turmeric extract in freshly packaged gherkins at higher concentrations and alternative emulsifiers. Several doses of curcuminoids from turmeric extract (sample 1: 14 ppm, sample 2: 18.8 ppm, sample 3: 28.1 ppm, and sample 4: 15 ppm) were investigated to determine if higher concentrations of turmeric extract would lead to improved real-world appearance of both the brine and the cucumber. These investigations, employing various doses of turmeric extract in freshly packed pickles, revealed that elevated levels of turmeric extract initially produced a yellow hue comparable to that of FD&C Yellow #5 pickles; however, it was not stable in the brine or under light conditions, nor was it light-stable in the cucumbers (see Figure 2). Variation in emulsifiers also did not improve light stability; samples 1–3 contained gum arabic, while sample 4 contained polysorbate 80.Table 3 shows the colorimetric readings (CM700 D portable colorimeter) of the pickles colored with turmeric extract at time zero and after 79 hours of exposure to light at 50 W / m2. Table 3. L*a*b* results for the stability investigation of Example 3. Time zero 79 Hours of light exposure Sample L* a* b* Chroma L* a* b* Chroma 1 17.34 -0.08 17.3 17.3 14.08 0.48 4.79 4.81 2 21.58 -0.17 7.85 7.86 16.46 0.54 6.76 6.79 3 21.91 -0.06 8.50 8.50 17.73 0.44 6.04 6.95 4 19.20 -0.42 9.49 9.49 15.51 0.45 4.11 4.14 Example 4. Natural coloring system comprising turmeric extract and carrot extract in a pickling system. Research combining turmeric extract and carrot extract in stability studies of freshly packaged pickles produced a yellow hue comparable to that of FD&C Yellow #5 pickles initially. Remarkably, the yellow hue also remained stable in brine and vegetables even after 79 hours of exposure to 50 W / m² light (Figure 4). Table 4 shows the colorimetric readings of pickles colored with turmeric extract and carrot extract at time zero and after 79 hours of light exposure. Of particular note is the extremely stable b-value after 79 hours of exposure to light. Table 4. L*a*b* results for the stability investigation of Example 4. Sample L* a* b* Chroma Time zero 19.78 0.63 7.04 7.08 79 Hours 17.58 0.96 7.83 7.89 When this study was continued in real time under ambient phosphorescent light at 200–300 lux, colorimetry was performed at different time intervals, as shown in Table 5. As can be seen, the combination was preserving its b* value much better than the control (turmeric). When this study continued for one year, the samples were visually compared to the samples in the dark, and the combination of turmeric and carrot extracts still retained its color, while the turmeric extract alone had lost most of its color (see Figure 5). Table 5. b* values ​​and 126-day retention percentage Turmeric Sample Turmeric and Carrot Day 0 14.78 12.43 Day 126 5.57 8.84 126 day b* retention value (%) 37.68 71.17 Example 5. Real-life stability of pickles colored with turmeric extract and carrot extract at increasing concentrations. In addition to the study described in Example 4, another study was conducted on gherkins with increasing concentrations of turmeric and carrot extract in the brine. The gherkins were processed and kept in ambient light (300 lux) for increasing time intervals. The doses of turmeric and carrot extract used are listed in Table 6. Table 6. Concentrations of different combinations of turmeric extract and carrot extract used to make pickles. Sample Description 1 Turmeric (14 ppm curcuminoids) 2 Turmeric (14 ppm curcuminoids) + Carrot (1.5 ppm carotenes) 3 Turmeric (16 ppm curcuminoids) + Carrot (1.725 ppm carotenes) 4 Turmeric (18.4 ppm curcuminoids) + Carrot (1.95 ppm carotenes) Colorimetric parameters were measured from outside the bottles, and b* and chroma values ​​were recorded. All treatments—2, 3, and 4—and the combinations of turmeric and carrot extracts maintained b* and chroma values ​​much better than 1, thus outperforming 1 (i.e., turmeric extract alone). Table 7. Colorimetric parameters of gherkin jars kept in ambient light for 35 weeks Time Point (weeks) 1 2 3 4 b* Chroma b* Chroma b* Chroma b* Chroma 0 16.72 17.41 20.46 21.1 22.17 22.83 28.97 24.98 4 15.06 15.53 27.17 27.46 24.22 24.55 29.43 29.62 13 12.66 13.01 22.72 22.96 22.08 22.33 23.45 23.72 21 17.05 17.07 31.48 31.53 21.09 21.09 33.81 33.99 35 11.24 11.28 27.72 27.83 23.15 23.21 29.11 29.16 Example 6. Yield of turmeric extract and carrot extract in a brine pickling system measured spectrophotometrically. The pickles were prepared in fresh packaging using turmeric and carrot extracts. Colorants were added to the brine as detailed in Table 8 below. Table 8. Concentrations of different colors, including the combination used to create pickles. Sample Concentrations 1 Combination 13 ppm curcuminoids + 1.5 ppm carotenes 2 Turmeric 13 ppm curcuminoids 3 Carrot 1.5 ppm carotenes 4 Carrot high 2.91 ppm carotenes 5 Brine The jars were kept under 50 W / m² light to observe the effect of light degradation on the brine and cucumbers. In this example, a different method was used to measure the brine intensities: we monitored the intensities at 420 nm (maximum absorbance for turmeric extract) and 450 nm (maximum absorbance for carrot extract) using a spectrophotometer. The appropriate amount of brine was taken, acetone was added to dissolve the pigment, and the color intensities were measured. As the samples were kept under light, the intensities at 420 and 450 nm decreased, as shown in the table below, indicating that the brine loses color over time. Carrot extracts alone had the best color retention in brine and proved to be more light-stable than turmeric extracts alone.The brine quickly lost its color when turmeric extract alone was added, indicating that turmeric is slightly unstable in brine. The results are shown in Tables 9 and 10. Table 9. % Color retention at 420 nm (absorbance maximums of turmeric extract) Time (h) Combination Turmeric Carrot Carrot high 0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 49.4 30.6 80.8 77.2 2 26.8 20.7 70.6 58.0 3 16.8 16.3 55.1 45.2 Table 10. % Color retention at 450 nm (absorbance maxima c the carrot extract). Time (h) Combination Turmeric Carrot Carrot high 0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 46.6 20.8 80.0 79.3 2 19.5 14.3 60.9 56.7 3 9.8 11.1 37.8 39.8 Colorimetry was performed on cucumber slices to measure color loss. Color differences increased with increasing exposure time to light; turmeric showed the highest values, indicating the greatest color loss, followed by the combination of turmeric and carrot extracts. This demonstrates improved color stability in cucumber slices compared to turmeric extract alone when both turmeric and carrot extracts are present. For carrot extract alone, color differences were not significant, as the colorant in the carrot extract was not initially absorbed by the cucumber (see Table H). Table 11. Slice color differences (open side). Time (h) Combination Turmeric Carrot Carrot high Brine 0 7.54 10.74 3.06 1.388 6.6 1 16.15 19.49 4.34 4.79 7.1 2 17 17.87 15.09 11.67 6.4 3 19.37 27.88 5.54 7.8 6.9 A D65 source and a 10° observer were used to calculate ΔE, color differences. The equation below shows that Lo, a0, and bo are time-zero colorimetric parameters, and L, a, and b are for the time point for which ΔE is calculated as: ΔΕ = yf(L — ¿o)2 + (a — ao)2 + (b — bo)2 When the colors of the slices were compared, the turmeric extract lost most of its color over time. The combination of carrot and turmeric extracts had the highest color. For the carrot extract, the values ​​did not change much because, initially, the colorant from the carrot extract was not absorbed into the cucumber. See Table 12. Table 12. Chroma of cucumber slices (open side) Time (h) Combination Turmeric Carrot Carrot high Brine 0 33.89 30.09 6.76 6.81 6.31 1 21.74 14.26 4.29 5.08 1.91 2 21.38 17.67 3.87 4.037 2.808 3 18.44 7.117 3.95 3.569 2.537 Regarding the natural coloring system, the example demonstrates that the pigments in turmeric extract worked better than carrot extract for coloring the pickle, but the color faded very quickly, making the pickle look unappealing (and colorless). Although carrot extract was shown to be light-stable and effective as a colorant in brine, it did not color the pickle. The combination of carrot extract and turmeric extract provided the desired vegetable color and color stability in the pickle over time. The natural colorant system comprising a combination of a light-stable colorant and a light-unstable colorant surprisingly provides a vegetable that has the desired yellow hue and light stability for a shelf-stable vegetable product. Example 7. Natural brine color system comprising turmeric extract and carrot extract. Pickled brine was prepared and colorants / pigments were added to the brine samples in the amounts listed in Table 13. Table 13. Samples and concentrations added to the brine. Sample Constituents and quantities Combination 13 ppm curcuminoids and 1.5 ppm carotenes Low turmeric 13 ppm curcuminoids High turmeric 15.3 ppm curcuminoids Carrot 1.5 ppm carotenes The intensities were controlled at both absorbance maxima (420 nm for the turmeric extract and 450 nm for the carrot extract) while the brine samples were subjected to light intensities of 9 klux for a total of 3 h. See the results shown in Tables 14 and 15. Table 14. % Intensity retention at 420 nm in brine under light storage (9 Klux) Time (h) Combination Low Turmeric High Turmeric Carrot 0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 64.1 50.7 53.5 119.2 2 50.2 26.9 27.3 107.1 3 36.4 20.5 19.6 68.4 Table 15. % Intensity retention at 450 nm in brine under light storage (9 Klux) Time (h) Combination Low Turmeric High Turmeric Carrot 0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 64.5 44.1 47.0 111.7 2 50.9 20.1 19.6 106.2 3 35.6 12.3 12.2 57.6 As the samples were exposed to light, the intensities at 420 and 450 nm decreased, as shown in Tables 14 and 15, indicating that the brine loses color over time. Carrot extracts alone exhibited the best color retention in brine and proved to be more light-stable than turmeric extracts alone. The brine rapidly lost its color when turmeric extract alone was added, indicating that turmeric is unstable in light. Example 8. Other yellow colors in pickles. The following yellow dyes were added to brines and used to make pickles to determine whether the color would adsorb or penetrate the cucumbers. The samples and concentrations of dyes used are listed in Table 16. Table 16. Concentrations of yellow dyes used to color the brine for pickling cucumbers Sample name Color and quantities Yellow paprika 1.25 ppm zeaxanthin Safflower 274 ppm Ei% 27.6 Gardenia yellow 88 ppm Ei% 87 Yellow beet 2% Ei% 0.375 Turmeric 14 ppm curcuminoids Pickles were prepared according to known methods in the technique, and jars were opened to evaluate the color of the slices and the b* values, chroma, and hue angles. The results are shown below in Table 17. Table 17. Colorimetric parameters of cucumber slices from processed gherkins colored with individual yellow dyes Sample b* Chroma Hue Angle Yellow Paprika 11.93 12.26 -76.61 Safflower 13.1 13.78 -71.77 Gardenia Yellow 17.1 17.66 -75.74 Yellow Beetroot 14.32 53.17 -3.94 Turmeric 32.61 29.12 -77.32 When these colorants were used as sole pigments to color pickles, all the pigments showed lower b* values ​​than turmeric and also lower chroma values. Gardenia Yellow had the highest b* value of 17.1, but still significantly lower than turmeric. Therefore, these colorants can be used in combination with turmeric, where they will preferably or only color the brine and the turmeric will be absorbed into the pickles to provide a non-perishable product. If these colors had been absorbed / adsorbed by the cucumber, they could be considered an independent colorant for pickling, given their high stability under light in the pickling system. In that case, they would be candidates to replace turmeric. Example 9. Natural brine color system comprising turmeric and zeaxanthin. After preparing the brine, colorants were added to the brine samples in the amounts listed in Table 18. Table 18. Samples and concentrations added to the brine Sample Constituents and quantities Combination 13 ppm curcuminoids and 1.25 ppm zeaxanthin Turmeric 13 ppm curcuminoids Yellow paprika 1.25 ppm zeaxanthin Intensities were monitored at both absorbance maxima (420 nm for turmeric and 454 nm for yellow paprika, respectively) while the brine samples were stored under a light intensity of 9 klux for a total of 3 h. The combination retained higher intensities at both 420 nm and 454 nm compared to the turmeric extract samples alone. The turmeric extract sample alone lost the greatest color intensity, indicating that the turmeric extract comprising curcuminoids is light-stable. The yellow paprika plant extract comprising zeaxanthin alone retained the greatest intensity, indicating that the zeaxanthin yellow paprika plant extract is brine-soluble and light-stable. See Tables 19 and 20. Table 19. % Intensity retention at 420 nm in brine under light storage (9 Klux) Time (h) Combination Turmeric Yellow Paprika 0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 72.9 60.7 117.3 2 60.7 39.1 114.8 3 44.1 20.9 122.7 Table 20. % Intensity retention at 454 nm in brine under light storage (9 Klux) Time (h) Combination Turmeric Yellow Paprika 0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 73.8 55.5 110.0 2 61.7 31.1 108.2 3 46.0 12.8 113.1 Example 10. Natural brine color system comprising turmeric extract and safflower extract. After preparing the brine, colorants were added to the brine samples in the amounts listed in Table 21. Table 21. Samples and concentrations added to the brine Sample Constituents and quantities Combination 13 ppm curcuminoids and 137 ppm safflower of Ei% 27.5 Turmeric 13 ppm curcuminoids Safflower 137.5 ppm of Ei% 27.5 The intensities at both absorbance maxima (420 nm for turmeric and 405 nm for safflower, respectively) were monitored while the brine samples were stored under a light intensity of 9 klux for a total of 3 h. The combination retained higher intensities at both 420 and 405 nm compared to the turmeric samples. The safflower extract alone retained the highest intensity, indicating that the safflower extract is soluble in brine and stable under light. (Tables 22 and 23). Table 22. % Intensity retention at 420 nm in brine under light storage (9 Klux) Time (h) Combination Turmeric Safflower 0 100.00 100.00 100.00 1 82.19 59.01 95.36 2 57.54 30.15 95.35 3 45.26 16.71 95.30 Table 23. % Intensity retention at 405 nm in brine under light storage (9Klux) Time (h) Combination Turmeric Safflower 0 100.00 100.00 100.00 1 75.70 67.85 96.76 2 63.77 42.76 96.70 3 53.73 28.55 96.83 Example 11. Natural brine color system comprising both turmeric extract and gardenia yellow extract. After preparing the brine, dyes were added to the brine samples in the amounts listed in Table 24: Table 24. Samples and concentrations added to the brine Sample Constituents and quantities Combination 13 ppm curcuminoids and 44 ppm gardenia yellow (Ei% 87) Turmeric 13 ppm curcuminoids Gardenia yellow 44 ppm of Ei% 87 Intensities were monitored at both absorbance maxima (420 nm for turmeric and 442 nm for gardenia yellow) while the brine samples were stored under 9 klux light intensities for a total of 3 h. The combination retained higher intensities at both 420 and 442 nm compared to the turmeric extract samples alone. Only gardenia yellow retained the highest intensity, indicating that gardenia yellow is soluble in brine and light-stable. See Tables 25 and 26. Table 25. % Intensity retention at 420 nm in brine under light storage (9 Klux) Time Combination Turmeric Gardenia Yellow 0 100.00 100.00 100.00 1 61.92 50.64 100.37 2 39.72 24.18 93.52 3 30.68 13.37 96.45 Table 26. % Intensity retention at 442 nm in brine under light storage (9 Klux) Time Combination Turmeric Gardenia Yellow 0 100.00 100.00 100.00 1 58.51 45.13 97.57 2 34.83 16.79 91.53 3 25.45 7.20 94.23 Example 12. Simulated pickling system using brine. This experiment was considered a simulated exercise to test whether the solution surrounding a scintillation vial (scintillation vial) containing the turmeric extract color would protect the solution inside the scintillation vial. It was observed in the brine example described earlier that the cucumber color was protected when carrot extract was added to the brine along with the turmeric extract. After filling the scintillation vial with a solution containing turmeric extract, the vial was placed in a 4 oz glass jar. The glass jar contained the protective solutions, namely carrot extract, gardenia yellow, safflower extract, yellow beet extract, or yellow paprika (zeaxanthin). These solutions were kept in a 50 W / m² light box for increasing periods, and the intensities at the absorbance peaks of both the turmeric and the respective color were measured.Acetone was used as the solvent to dissolve the pigment and accurately measure the color, using the same ratio of colored brine to acetone at all time points. The amounts of yellow pigment used in the experiment are listed in Table 26. Table 26. Concentrations of yellow pigments used in the flask with turmeric extract (13 ppm curcuminoids) in the scintillation vial. Scintillation vials filled with turmeric extracts were placed inside the flasks and placed under lighting conditions. Pigment Quantity Product strength when required Carrot 1.5 ppm carotenes Safflower 140 ppm EI% 27.5 Gardenia yellow 10.8 ppm EI% 400 Yellow beetroot 10004 ppm EI% 0.375 Yellow paprika 1.3 ppm zeaxanthin Table 27 below shows the retention of turmeric intensity at 420 nm when scintillation vials containing turmeric extract were placed in glass jars containing different yellow solutions. The jars were incubated at 50 W / m² for up to 90 min. These external solutions effectively protected the turmeric colorant more effectively than the brine-only control, a scenario where only turmeric is used in the pickling system and rapidly loses color. This indicates that these light-stable dyes, when added to the turmeric extract colorant, will effectively protect the turmeric colorant and thus maintain the color over time. Table 27. Retention of turmeric intensity at 420 nm, within the scintillation vial when different yellow solutions are added to the glass bottle Time (min) Brine Carrot Safflower Gardenia Yellow Beetroot Yellow Paprika 0 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 30 67.63 82.70 81.67 82.62 78.42 79.18 60 42.50 75.60 61.85 74.25 59.85 70.76 90 26.88 43.37 42.03 59.18 48.34 57.02 The intensity of the turmeric color is better retained when the external solutions are one of the following yellows compared to when only brine (control) is present in the surrounding medium, i.e., in the glass jar. This indicates that the colorant / pigment in the turmeric extract is protected from degradation and / or stabilized by the additional presence of any of these light-stable yellow colors. Table 28. Retention of different yellow solutions (at their respective absorbance maxima) stored in glass bottles, which protect the turmeric solution stored in the scintillation vial Time (min) Carrot Safflower Gardenia Yellow Beetroot Yellow Paprika 0 100 100 100 100 100 30 95.0 104.2 90.9 87.7 92.6 60 99.2 101.4 93.0 97.3 100.9 90 94.9 103.0 91.1 97.6 100.0 Table 28 above shows the color retention of the external solutions protecting the turmeric extract held in scintillation vials. The percentage intensities were measured at the respective absorbance maxima and were found to be well retained for 90 min at 50 W / m². This indicates that these dyes are individually much more light-stable than turmeric, and even while protecting the turmeric color from degradation (fading), they do not undergo much degradation themselves, thus making them potentially useful protective agents for turmeric. The scope of the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described herein. In fact, several modifications of the invention, in addition to those described herein, will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. It is intended that such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims. All patents, applications, publications, test methods, literature, and other materials cited in this document are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A natural colorant composition for coloring pickled and / or fermented vegetables, characterized in that it comprises two or more natural colorants.

2. The natural colorant composition according to claim 1, further characterized in that at least one of the natural colorants is soluble in brine and stable in light.

3. The natural colorant composition according to claim 1, further characterized in that at least one of the natural colorants is adsorbed or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable and is unstable in light.

4. The natural colorant composition according to claim 1, further characterized in that at least one of the natural colorants is soluble in brine and stable in light and wherein at least one of the natural colorants is unstable in light and adsorbs or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable.

5. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant, which is soluble in brine and stable to light, is an extract derived from carrot, Daucus carota.

6. The natural colorant composition according to claim 3, further characterized in that the colorant is unstable in light and adsorbs or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable and is an extract derived from turmeric (Curcuma loriga).

7. The natural colorant composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a combination of extracts of Curcuma longa comprising curcuminoids and Daucus carota comprising carotenoids.

8. The natural colorant composition according to claim 7, further characterized in that the curcuminoid content is present in an amount of 1-260 ppm and the carotenoid content is present in an amount of 0.2-50 ppm.

9. The natural colorant composition according to claim 1, further characterized in that the pickled and / or fermented vegetables are selected from the group consisting of cucumber, cauliflower, onion, carrot, cabbage, watermelon, beetroot, pepper and combinations thereof.

10. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant, which is brine-soluble and light-stable, is zeaxanthin derived from the pulp of the pod of ripe yellow paprika fruit or other natural sources, and wherein the zeaxanthin content is 0.1-50 ppm.

11. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant which is brine-soluble and light-stable is a safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) extract, and wherein the safflower extract content is 100-1000 ppm of Ei% 27.6 color intensity or equivalent specification.

12. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant, which is brine-soluble and light-stable, is a yellow beetroot (Beta vulgaris) extract, and wherein the concentration of yellow beetroot extract is 10-100,000 ppm of Ei% 0.375 or equivalent specification.

13. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant, which is brine-soluble and light-stable, is an extract of gardenia yellow (Gardenia jasminoides), wherein the concentration of gardenia yellow extract is 1-1000 ppm Ei% 87 or equivalent specification.

14. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant, which is brine-soluble and light-stable, is synthetic β-carotene, wherein the carotene content is 0.2 ppm - 50 ppm.

15. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant, which is brine-soluble and light-stable, is lutein derived from marigold (Tagetes erecta) or the pulp of the pod of ripe yellow bell pepper fruit or other natural sources, wherein the carotenoid content in the composition is 0.2-50 ppm.

16. The natural colorant composition according to claim 2, further characterized in that the natural colorant, which is brine-soluble and light-stable, is β-carotene derived from algae or fungi, wherein the carotenoid content in the composition is 0.2-50 ppm.

17. The natural colorant composition according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a combination of a light-stable natural colorant, which is a Curcuma langa extract comprising curcuminoids, and a light-stable natural colorant selected from the group consisting of carrot extract comprising carotenes, gardenia yellow extract in an amount of 1-1000 ppm of Ei% 87 or equivalent specification, yellow beet extract in an amount of 10-100,000 ppm of Ei% 0.375 or equivalent specification, safflower extract in an amount of 100-1000 ppm of Ei% 27.6 color power or equivalent specification, yellow paprika ripe fruit pod pulp extract comprising zeaxanthin in an amount of 0.1-50 ppm, marigold extract comprising lutein in an amount of 0.1-50 ppm, and a β-carotene derived from fungi or algae in an amount of 0.2-50 ppm.

18. The natural colorant composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises industry-approved, natural, clean-label diluents / emulsifiers.

19. A method for coloring pickled and / or fermented vegetables characterized in that it comprises treating the vegetables with an effective amount of the natural colorant composition according to claim 1 and further preparing, pickling, processing and / or packaging the vegetables.

20. The method according to claim 19, further characterized in that the pickled and / or fermented vegetables are colored with at least one natural colorant that is soluble in brine and stable to light, and wherein at least one natural colorant that is unstable to light is adsorbed and / or penetrates the pickled and / or fermented vegetable, and wherein the vegetable retains a desired hue over time.