The newest member of the Food, Nutrition
and Consumer Science Department of the College of Agriculture
is the Natural Color Resource Center. The Center is unique in
that it is the only Center in the world dedicated to the emerging
science of natural colors. It is strange that such a Center
did not come together earlier especially since natural colors
have been around since antiquity and used extensively before the
discovery of synthetic dyes. Synthetic dyes dampened the interest
in natural colors because they were less costly and easier to
use. Today, however, the upsurge of consumer interest in natural
products has put pressure on retail manufacturers to rethink their
selection of color ingredients.
Food Scientists involved in coloring
products are now trying to convert existing and new formulations
from synthetic to natural colors. This is a difficult challenge
because the starting materials are often produced in emerging
countries under a host of variable processes, are derived from
agricultural sources and thus exposed to variable climatic conditions,
and supporting technical information is difficult and at times
impossible to obtain. The Center is now quickly positioning itself
to supply technical information and is in the process of collecting
scientific papers from all over the world and bringing it to Cal
Poly. These papers will become the resource library at the Center.
The core data will be made available
on the WEB and retrievable by key word descriptors by anyone in
the world. It will serve the scientific and unbiased needs of
academia, industry, lobby groups, regulatory bodies, media and
the average consumer.
The activity of the Center will be
funded privately by donations or "fee for service" contract work
to industry. The Center will also supervise graduate student study
within the Food, Nutrition and Consumer Science Department and
in time will initiate basic research. There is nothing but excitement
ahead for the Department, The College of Agriculture, The University
and the retail product industry.
The Center will make Cal Poly Pomona
the international focal point for technical information on natural
colors used worldwide - not bad for the new kid on the block!
Gabriel Lauro, PhD
Director
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