'Green' chemistry extraction method developed for hot capsicum fruit

Plant pigments are an important source of non-toxic compounds for use as food or cosmetic coloring agents. In addition to their known nutritional value, the red pigments in Capsicum (chile pepper) are important as sources of non-toxic red dyes; the red pigments are added to many processed foods and cosmetics to enhance their appearance. Certain varieties of Capsicum annuum can be 'extracted' to isolate red-colored xanthophylls, an important economical source of red pigments that can replace carcinogenic synthetic red dyes.

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