| abstract |
A coloring agent for foods and beverages having anti-oxidizing, oxygen-absorbing and lipoxidase-inhibiting properties is prepared by heating an alkaline aqueous mixture of a saccharide and an amino acid to generate the coloring agent, and then dealkalizing the reaction solution by neutralization with an acid or by treatment on an acidic cation exchange resin. The pH of the aqueous mixture must be at least 11, preferably 11 - 13, in order to obtain the desired properties. |