Microwave assisted extraction of food colorants: principle, mechanism, extraction technique and applications

Abstract

In response to the current trend of consumer awareness towards foods containing natural colours, the food industry has moved from synthetic colours to natural colours. In addition, because nontraditional extraction techniques are more environmentally friendly and stable than traditional methods, they are becoming more and more popular for removing pigments from natural sources. The benefits of using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), a technological advancement that can be heated rapidly and has been demonstrated to be successful in recovering bioactive compounds from a variety of sources, are covered in this review. The primary goals are to: (1) Describe the fundamental ideas and techniques of MAE and endeavor to demonstrate the efficacy and efficiency of this technology in color recovery. (2) A number of elements or variables influencing how well MAE extracts natural pigments from different sources. (3) The use of MAE to extract natural pigments from a wide range of materials, including different fruits, microalgae, flower waste, etc., has significantly increased thanks to the development of integrated technology and novel extraction solvents. The Earth Response Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also include research on waste materials and novel pigments (like algae and other organisms) in combination with MAE as a major area of study.