Abstract
There is a legal requirement for governments to monitor the consumption of all food additives in the European Union to ensure that they are safe and that acceptable daily intakes are not exceeded. Food colour manufacturers and the food industry must also be able to monitor the quality and stability of food colours, including raw materials, and have tools that allow them to develop new colours and better formulations for use in a wide range of processed foods and drinks. Validated analytical methods are needed to fulfill these requirements. This chapter discusses available methods of extraction for approved natural and synthetic colour additives in food and drink.