Does Food Coloring Affect the Taste of Liquids?

[Daniel]

Good morning my friends,
I've been doing an experiment & trying to find an answer to a question that has bugged me for a long time, & I believe I have found my answer. I always thought that a "colored" liquid looked more presentable than a non "colored" one. So, in making my e-juices, I wanted to create the best tasting, most flavorful vape I could, and add food coloring to it to somehow psycologically, "enhance" it's appeareance.

Well, after making a batch of blueberry liquid, & adding 1 tiny drop of food coloring, (the kind bought in grocery stores, example, Kroger, I find I believe it does affect the taste of e-liquids. The reason for this is that food coloring is made up of natural & artificial color, and the food coloring I used has the following ingredients:
water
propylene glycol
blue 1
citric acid
sodium benzoate (preservative)

So...even using a tiny drop will change and alter the taste of the e-liquid. And I was putting 1 drop per 15 ml bottle. So, I am going to make a new batch and leave out any & all food coloring, and check my findings. Has anyone else experienced this, or know of something I may be wrong in assuming?

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday...

 

[Tripster]

Does Food Coloring Affect Taste?

 

[Daniel]

Does Food Coloring Affect Taste?

Tripster,
Yeah, I read thru most of that information myself, but yet I still felt it might affect it. I made 1 10ml bottle to test the theory myself, for sure. I could be wrong. Most of the time I am. But I have to see for myself....

 

[Ld3441]

Let us know what you find out.
I'd be more concerned about inhaling that in my lungs rather than affecting the taste of the juice. I don't know anyone that uses food coloring for that reason.

 

[Daniel]

Let us know what you find out.
I'd be more concerned about inhaling that in my lungs rather than affecting the taste of the juice. I don't know anyone that uses food coloring for that reason.

Ok, I just finished up my 1 test bottle, and after vaping it for about 10 minutes, I cannot detect any discernible difference between colored, and non colored. So apparently, I was wrong. In my research I was able to talk to several different major vendors of e-juice, and they all said basically the same thing, they would love to color their different juices, to somewhat emphasize their flavor, i.e. cinnamon being red, menthol being green, but when they did a public test, the general consensus was if it did not enhance the juice itslf, what was the point of expending the extra resources?

So, they elected not to color. But at the same time, they said that they felt there was no detrimental effect of using food coloring, aside from the occasional headache if you used too much. We eat food coloring in normal everyday foods, and if it was bad for us, I don't think the FDA would let it happen. They like to get their grubby little hands into everything, look how they want to wipe out e-cigs, based on bad information, or misinformed political agendas.

I do feel that it is not a big deal, and having determined that there is no taste in food coloring, I will vape both of my batches, both colored and non colored. I hope this alleviates some concerns, but everyone must do as they see fit, for their own comfort and satisfaction.....

 

[Smoky Blue]

Well, after making a batch of blueberry liquid, & adding 1 tiny drop of food coloring, (the kind bought in grocery stores, example, Kroger, I find I believe it does affect the taste of e-liquids. The reason for this is that food coloring is made up of natural & artificial color, and the food coloring I used has the following ingredients:
water
propylene glycol
blue 1
citric acid
sodium benzoate (preservative)

You do not! want to vape all that.

 

[Smoky Blue]

If you choose to use food coloring, please, make sure it has no acids, gums, sugars or preservatives..
You can not regrow lungs.

 

[olderthandirt]

...food coloring to it to somehow psycologically, "enhance" it's appeareance.....

Silly anecdote.
Few years back, several really, wife made up apple jelly. Homemade apple jelly tends to be pretty neutral in color, leaning towards a translucent light tan/beige. As her mother always did before, she used red food coloring in about half the batch, green in the remainder.

Both our kids would more often as not pick a jar of the red when getting a new one. The red jars were used up first with next to none of the green used.
Both of the kids firmly believed the red tasted better. Same stuff, just different color.

Wonder if you were to do a blind taste test with other vapers you know, if any might think the colored better than the clear.

 

[Daniel]

If you choose to use food coloring, please, make sure it has no acids, gums, sugars or preservatives..
You can not regrow lungs.

I suppose I need to go on a hunt, none of the grocery stores stock food coloring with those specifications. Or, I could just not use it, and toss the 4- 15 ml bottles I made.

 

[Smoky Blue]

I'd toss them, just to be safe.. try out this, if you absolutely have to have it:

http://www.ecigexpress.com/flavors/e-liquid-ingredients/food-coloring.html

best tho, if you do not use any.. as your juices age, they will turn colors.. well, most.

 

[Heabob]

From and end user's point of view:

As vaping is a safer alternative to analogs, I'd rather not put any extra chemicals in my lungs.
There's enough "unknowns" to think about already with the PG, VG, and flavorings IMO.

 

[HeadInClouds]

How about using tinted tanks instead of tinting the liquid? You can even do it on the cheap: http://focalecig.com/search/keyword-mt3 mini

 

[Daniel]

How about using tinted tanks instead of tinting the liquid? You can even do it on the cheap: http://focalecig.com/search/keyword-mt3 mini

I've thought about tinted tanks, but if it turns out to be alot of trouble and a LOOOOOONNNGG waiting list to get the EigExpress food coloring, I'll just give it up. I use 3 kinds of tanks, and these 3 only: Taifun GT, Kayfun Lite Plus v2, & Fogger V4. I was thinking that the tinted liquid would not be an issue, and I really don't plan on making it one...

 

[Ld3441]

I've thought about tinted tanks, but if it turns out to be alot of trouble and a LOOOOOONNNGG waiting list to get the EigExpress food coloring, I'll just give it up. I use 3 kinds of tanks, and these 3 only: Taifun GT, Kayfun Lite Plus v2, & Fogger V4. I was thinking that the tinted liquid would not be an issue, and I really don't plan on making it one...

It's not an issue if you are informed of the risks. I doubt there is much we can put in there that is worse than cigarettes but there could be I suppose. We are just thinking of safety but everyone has the right to choose which risks they are willing to take. I'm sure you have read about flavors with "custard notes". Many choose not to vape this too but there are just as many that do. In the end, you are the only one you need to satisfy.