A Rainbow Palate

"Aniline and azo dyes were the first of many novel substances that chemists began to synthesize on an industrial-scale from coal-tar, a waste product of the gas industry. The new dyes, originally intended for textiles, were soon added to food, becoming one of the first laboratory-created, industrially manufactured chemicals to be used in our daily life in unexpected ways. By the time the risks and uncertainties surrounding the synthesized chemicals began to surface, the dyes were being used everywhere from clothes and furnishings to cookware and food. A Rainbow Palate examines how chemists in Europe and the US maneuvered themselves to become instrumental players in new regimes of food production, regulation, and quality testing. As increasing industrialization, international trade, and competition led to mounting concerns about food adulteration, manufacturers and retailers, politicians and the public all invoked chemists to represent their interests. As Carolyn Cobbold reveals, the widespread use of new chemical substances and techniques influenced perceptions and understanding of food, science, and technology as well as trust in science and scientists. Because the new dyes were among the earliest contested chemical additives in food, the battles surrounding their use offer striking insights and parallels into today's international struggles surrounding chemical, food, and trade regulation"--