"Bad Pigment Macarons Beware!" ... Gyeongbuk Province Investigates Tar Usage in Colorful Desserts

Macaron Sales at Rest Stop Restaurants in 9 Cities and Counties of Gyeongbuk

Checking 'Prohibited' Usage and Allowed Dye Amounts

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] The Gyeongbuk Provincial Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 10th that it will conduct a survey on the use of tar dyes that add colorful hues to desserts sold at local rest stop restaurants from this month until September.

This project targets about 100 macarons sold at rest stop restaurants in 9 cities and counties within the province, including Andong and Pohang. It plans to analyze whether unauthorized tar dyes are used and, in the case of authorized tar dyes, the amount used.

Last year, Gyeongbuk Province investigated the use of tar dyes in 108 dessert items such as coffee, juice, chocolate, macarons, and cookies sold at rest stop restaurants within the province.

The investigation found that tar dyes were used in 53 cases, among which 4 macaron cases exceeded the usage standards and were deemed inappropriate.

As the dessert market shows growth, consumers prefer not only taste but also visual appeal, leading to an increasing trend in the use of tar dyes that make confectioneries colorful.

Macarons sold at rest stop restaurants are directly manufactured and delivered to consumers through online sales or visits, so unlike generally distributed processed foods, safety inspections are not well conducted. They are thus in a blind spot of food safety management.

Tar dyes are synthesized from benzene or naphthalene contained in coal tar, and 9 types are used as food additives. The maximum usage amount is set according to the type of food.

From this year, the standard that only limited the individual allowable usage amount of tar dyes has been revised to include a total amount standard when two or more types are used, to prevent excessive use, applying stricter management standards.

Baek Hajoo, director of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Institute of Health and Environment, said, “As dessert consumption at cafes and others increases, we will continue safety inspections.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.