Stabilized anthocyanin food colorant
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to food colorants. In particular, it relates to an anthocyanin food colorant obtained by extraction of grape pomace. Food colorants of this type have been known for many years. The colorants, and methods of obtaining them from grape pomace, are well described in the literature such as: &#34;Anthocyanins-Occurrence, Extraction and Chemistry&#34; by C. F. Timberlake, Food Chemistry, Vol. 5, pages 69-80 (1980); &#34;Anthocyanins and Their Solubility in Foods&#34; by P. Markakis, CRC Critical Review in Food Technology, Volume 4, Issue 4, pages 437-456 (1974); &#34;Purification of Commercial Grape Pigment&#34; by R. I. Lin et al, Journal of Food Science, Volume 45, pages 297-309 (1980). 
     It is also known that the color of this anthocyanin colorant can be enhanced or stabilized when combined with other materials. Examples in the literature include: &#34;Anthocyanins: Color Augmentation with Catechin and Acetaldehyde&#34;, by C. F. Timberlake et al, J. Sci. Fd. Agric. Vol. 28, pages 539-544 (1977); &#34;Process for Enhancing the Sunlight Stability of Anthocyanic Pigments, Iacobucci, U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,982; &#34;Stability of Grape Anthocyanin in a Carbonated Beverage&#34; by N. Palamidis et al, Journal of Food Science, Volume 40, pages 1047-1049 (1975). 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a stabilized anthocyanin grape extract colorant and to provide a method of making same, and it is a further object to provide food products colored with that colorant. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing and other objects which will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a stabilized anthocyanin grape extract colorant comprising an anthocyanin grape extract colorant combined with tannic acid, and by providing food products colored therewith. The stabilized colorant is readily produced in accordance with the invention by combining tannic acid and anthocyanin grape extract colorant in an appropriate solvent, and recovering the product. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The anthocyanin grape extract colorant can be any of the commercially available materials but is preferably one which is obtained by aqueous extraction of red or black grape pomace with aqueous alcoholic solutions containing water and 25-75% by volume of ethyl alcohol and preferably 25-40% for greatest clarity. Throughout the extraction the temperature should be held below about 30° C. otherwise browning or other undesirable conditions may develop. In a preferred manner of practicing the invention, the tannic acid is added to the extract solution prior to recovery of the colorant. The colorant is preferably recovered, after addition of the tannic acid, by a two stage drying process including evaporation followed by spray drying with a suitable carrier such as dextrin. 
     Tannic acid, which is used in the present invention, is a hydrolyzable gallotannin and is also a hydrolyzed tannin and structurally distinct from the latter. It is known to add tannins to anthocyanins, including anthocyanins from grape pomace. However, tannins are quite distinct, structurally, from tannic acid and we have found that the addition of tannins does not enhance stability as when tannic acid is used in accordance with the present invention. This difference is shown in Example 3 which follows. Food grade tannic acid is available commercially. The amount of tannic acid which will combine with the colorant will vary somewhat with the particular extract, but will generally be from 5 to 25% by weight, based on the solids content of the colorant. 
     In making the stabilized product, the tannic acid and colorant are combined in a suitable solvent, conveniently the solvent used to extract the pigment from the grape pomace. The tannic acid may be admixed in an amount in excess of that which will combine with the anthocyanin colorant and an amount of 5 to 50% by weight, based on the solids content of the colorant, is generally suitable. 
     Where the tannic acid is added to the extract solution resulting from the extraction of grape pomace, the tannic acid may be added directly or after dissolving in a suitable compatible solvent. Where the extract colorant is obtained as such, a suitable solvent is selected in which to effect combination of the colorant and tannic acid. Water, alcohols, or admixtures thereof are suitable solvents. After the materials are combined, the solvent is removed in any convenient manner such as evaporation followed by spray drying as described above. The product is preferably spray dried and may contain a suitable food quality spray drying carrier, such as dextrin. Such carriers are used in varying amounts, generally 25 to 75% by weight of the product. 
    
    
     EXAMPLE 1 
     De-seeded Ives grape pomace is washed with an approximately equal volume of water and pressed to remove soluble sugars. The washed pomace is then contacted with two volumes of 40% ethanol by volume in water containing hydrochloric acid in an amount sufficient to result in a pH of about 2. After a soak time of one hour at about 22° C., the pomace is pressed to provide an aqueous extract solution containing about 4% grape solids. The pomace can be used as an animal feed constituent. Tannic acid is added to the solution in an amount of 10% by weight based on the weight of the grape solids. The extract is then evaporated in a multiple effect evaporator to produce a concentrate having a solids content of about 20%. Dextrin, in an equivalent amount of about 50% by weight based on the solids content of the concentrate, is added, to form a 20% solids suspension and the concentrate is spray dried to produce a dry particulate colorant. The colorant is used to color a conventional cherryflavored dry beverage mix for seventeen weeks at 90° F., 70% relative humidity with no loss of red color and no perception of &#34;off-flavors&#34;. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     A conventional cherry-flavored dry beverage mix is colored with the colorants listed and tested for stability in sunlight and heat. 
     
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                                Stab-                                     
                                ility (Half-                              
                                Sun-  life)                               
Coloring Agent                                                            
              Color     Flavor  light 95° F.                       
______________________________________                                    
A.  Example 1     Clear Red Fruity                                        
                                  14 days                                 
                                        60 min.                           
B.  Commercial Grape                                                      
                  Red       Winey 6 days                                  
                                        30 min.                           
    Pomace Extract                                                        
    Colorant (&#34;GSE.sub.x &#34;,                                               
    Spreda)                                                               
C.  Commercial Beet                                                       
                  Red-Pink  Beety 1 day 10 min.                           
    Extract (&#34;S-D&#34;,                                                       
    Beatrice Foods)                                                       
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     EXAMPLE 3 
     The effect of tannic acid used in accordance with the present invention is compared with the effect of tannins. In a first series of experiments, an Ives grape pomace extract is made in the manner described in Example 1, except that the tannic acid used in Example 1 is replaced with the addition indicated below. Loss in coloration as a function of exposure to daylight is measured after the indicated time intervals. In a second set of experiments, the same additives are used with a commercial grape skin extract (Spreda). Results are as shown in the table. 
     
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                               3 Day                                      
       Additive                Loss  Increase Over                        
Pomace (0.1%)    Day 1   Day 3 (%)   Control (%)                          
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                 0.97    0.80  18    0                                    
Ives   tea tannins                                                        
                 1.15    0.79  31    -1                                   
Ives   tannic acid                                                        
                 1.25    1.04  23    +30                                  
Spreda           0.58    0.49  16    0                                    
Spreda tea tannins                                                        
                 0.72    0.56  22    +14                                  
Spreda tannic acid                                                        
                 0.97    0.84  13    +71                                  
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