Riboflavin (E101)

Vitamins are essential for the normal functioning of the human body. Their lack leads to undesirable and sometimes dangerous consequences. One of them is vitamin B2, which belongs to the B vitamins and is called riboflavin.

The substance is found in various vegetables and fruits, but there is also a natural food supplement riboflavin, which is labeled E101, and due to its natural origin is harmless.

Next, let’s take a closer look at the composition of the substance, the benefits of riboflavin for the body and what the food supplement E101 is.

Characteristics of natural food additive E101

This substance is known under the names: E101, vitamin B2, riboflavin. It is a bright yellow food coloring. Under natural conditions, it is found in various vegetables and fruits: eggplant, cherry plum, parsley, sweet pepper, quince, dill, raspberries, apricots, apples, strawberries, beans, asparagus, green salad.

This dye gives color to dairy products, eggs, liver and various vegetables.

Around the twenties and thirties of the twentieth century, B vitamins were discovered, and already in 1935, riboflavin was first obtained synthetically. As a result, this vitamin got its name: “ribose” – ribose and “flavin” – yellow paint.

There are two technologies for obtaining this food additive: microbiological and chemical.

In the first case, riboflavin is isolated from fungi of the Eremothecium ashbyii species with the participation of modified bacteria Bacillus subtilis.

The chemical synthesis of riboflavin uses 3,4-dimethylaniline and ribose. In this case, two different compounds are obtained: riboflavin – a synthetic food additive E101 (i), as well as riboflavin 5-phosphate sodium salt – a synthetic food additive E101 (ii).

Riboflavin chemical formula: C₁₇H₂₀N₄O₆. This substance is stable in an acidic environment, but is destroyed under the influence of alkalis, practically insoluble in ethyl alcohol and water, riboflavin is practically insoluble.

The appearance of such a food additive is crystals, a bright yellow-orange color with a bitter aftertaste. Riboflavin is resistant to high temperatures, but is destroyed by ultraviolet rays and loses all its beneficial qualities.

Riboflavin is an essential nutrient for the life of the body. It promotes the synthesis of enzymes that help transport oxygen in the human body. In addition, it significantly improves carbohydrate and protein metabolism.

Useful and dangerous properties of food coloring E101

Vitamin B2 is vital for the body, as it plays a certain role in the health of the skin, hair and nails. Thanks to this nutritional supplement, the functioning of the thyroid gland, reproductive function is normalized, the processes of formation of blood cells and antibodies are regulated.

Riboflavin does not accumulate in the human body, its excess is excreted in the urine. Deficiency of this vitamin provokes various negative consequences, which are most often expressed in:

• cheilosis, accompanied by roughness of the lips and the appearance of cracks on them;
• visual impairment leading to cataracts;
• muscle weakness;
• disorders of the nervous system;
• seborrheic dermatitis;
• glossitis, accompanied by swelling and redness of the tongue;
• stomatitis angular, characterized by the appearance of ulcers in the corners of the lips.

Since vitamin B2 does not accumulate in the body, it is necessary to regularly eat foods rich in this substance, or take multivitamin preparations, which include riboflavin.

The food supplement is safe for human life and health. It is practically insoluble in water and almost not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, so its excess does not pose a threat to the body.

Such a substance can cause harm only in case of insufficient purification of the composition or violation of the technology for the synthesis of vitamin B2.

The recommended daily dose of riboflavin is 0,5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

The use of food coloring E101

In the food industry, such a food additive is used to color products yellow, as well as to enrich them with vitamin B2, which is vital for human health.

Riboflavin is most commonly found in baby foods, especially cereals, cereals, breads, and peanut butter.

Also, the food additive E101 is used in the medical industry. It is used in the manufacture of drugs intended to compensate for the lack of vitamin B2 in the body.

Food supplement E101 is not just allowed, but even recommended for use in various areas of life.

As a dye, riboflavin is approved for use in the food industry in many countries, including the EU countries and the Russian Federation.

Summing up

Riboflavin, or food additive E101, is a food coloring found in large quantities in plant foods. In addition to natural sources, this substance is often produced chemically, but at the same time it remains as safe and useful as the natural component.

Such an additive is used in the food industry as a dye and as a means of enriching the human body with vitamin B2. The lack of this substance entails negative, and sometimes serious consequences for human health. Such a substance is considered absolutely safe, and therefore it is ubiquitous and allowed for use in almost all countries of the world.

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