According to German scientists, rose-leaf extracts can retain pigments of canned strawberry even after it reprocessing.

Results of a research, published in a regular issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, show, that minor amounts of extracts, taken from rose-leafs, increase significantly the lifetime of anthocyanin compounds (substances, responsible for the color of fruit) in strawberry. “Results of the research conducted have confirmed an assumption, concerning the ability of colorless polyphenols of rose-leafs to ensure a notable reduction of thermal degradation of strawberry anthocyanins and to help preserve the color in the end product”, - the research leader from Stuttgart Hokkenheim University Vasil Shikov writes.

“In contrast to rosemary and thyme extracts, used as agents, stabilizing anthocyanin, polyphenols are characterized by a higher degree of efficiency even disregard of its minor concentration”, - Shikov adds.

Nowadays most manufacturers of canned fruit continue to use food dyes of synthetic origin, such as tatrasin, carmoisin and sodium benzoate in order to retain the desired color of the product.

The scientists believe, that their recent discovery will provide an opportunity for the manufacturers to provide products with more natural features, while refusing to add harmful substance of synthetic origin.