Why Are Colouring Agents Added To Medicines?

From the times of Ancient Egyptians up to the 20th century medicinal pills were generally rounds and white. All over the counter medications were available is pasty pastel or ghostly white hues, and prescription medicines were simple colourless pills in transparent vials.Now, pills and even liquid medicines are available in a wide array of colours, so the question that rises is whether colour has any significance. Many might think colour only makes the pills attractive to the eyes, but it has several other reasons and has become necessary now.

These colours for pharmaceutical products are beneficial for both pharmaceutical companies as well as consumers.

• The primary function ofcolour is that it allows customers to recognize one pill from another and also between prescription/non-prescription drugs and other capsules or tablets. Elderly patients often get confused when all pills are of the same size, colour and shape. Also, the bright coloured medicines make individuals suffering for longer duration feel happier with the addition of colours to their life, even if the colourful objects are tablets. Therefore, colour combinations and colours appeal to emotions and also significantly lower the chances of medical errors.
• Another important fact is that patients often respond to the colour of the medication, as blue signifies deep sleep at night, while dynamic red is for speedy recovery from any ailment. Even though we do not eat pills, it is an old belief that humans eat with eyes as well as palates. This is the reason why butter has been yellow coloured ever since the 1300s. We swallow pills however; some of them leave behind their taste, which makes them difficult to swallow. Therefore, by associating it with colour, the process of associating it with a positive image becomes easier.

Other than these functional benefits for customers, colour is now being used for creating brand images instead of just simple white pills. Pharmaceutical companies are now conducting thorough research on colours and making pharmaceutical dyes accordingly as colour is now being considered a powerhouse. Colour now signifies the personality of the drug, and offers feedback not only about the how a customer might feel when consuming it, but also as a mark of the brand which is creating it. It also differentiates it from other brands therefore, displaying its benefits of belonging to a reputable brand.

Today, most consumers purchase over the counter drugs rather than prescription drugs, which is why most pharmaceutical colours manufacturers are making the drugs more and more colourful. As these colours appeal to customers and also assist in recognizing a particular brand which they trust.

In some cases the colour of the drug does not signify its effect, like Viagra, as it is blue in colour. Colour might not play a significant role in future as in case of individuals with lengthy durations of illness they might have micro-dispensers planted inside the body. Through this dispenser the quantity of drug present in one’s body will be tested and then the required quality will be released.

How do colors transform Pharma Products?

Medicines have the power to cure ailments. But did you know that the colour of medicines play a transformational role in the effectiveness of the medicine.They expedite the time taken to cure the ailments. Research has proved that there is an impact of colourful medicines on the mind of the patients.

Once upon a time, medicines were available only in shades of white. With new technologies and scientific developments, colours such as pink, yellow, green, red, blue and more are made available by pharmaceutical colors manufacturers. Today, pharmaceutical colors share a colour palette of thousands of shades

“I have so many colourful tablets,” you must have heard someone under medication saying so in excitement. Colours for pharmaceutical products attract the feeling of excitement in an otherwise unpleasant experience of consuming a plain white tablet. For others, the coloured tablet may not be exciting but a medium to feel better.

Below are some of significant roles played by colours for pharmaceutical products.

Delivering a cure through colours

It goes without saying that colours used in consumable drugs are edible. Pharmaceutical colors manufacturers have to follow strict guidelines to ensure that colours are used as per the set international standards. Pharmaceutical dyes and pigments are used for adding colours to products based on the application requirements. Pharmaceutical colors manufacturers, therefore, invest a lot of time and money on research for finding the right colour and consistency of colours for drugs. Based on the analysis and testing performed by their research labs, the drugs are given the ideal quality, accuracy and intensity.

Distributing the right medicine

The functional value of colours helps in the distribution of drugs too. Light-sensitive products remain stable with the opacity of colour. Colour coding is utilized by pharmaceutical drug manufacturers. This prevents mixing of drugs during the production process and while packaging.Colours are perceived differently in countries across the world. A yellow may mean something in one country or something else in another. Religious beliefs or local cultural influence can change the way a person perceives colour. Therefore, colour/s of medicines are chosen based on the country where it will be distributes.

What you see is what you feel

Visuals appeal to human beings. And so does pharmaceutical colors. A red may invigorate or blue may calm a medicine user. Research has proved that colour has an impact on patients. The distinctive colour of medicine further benefits patients who consume a number of prescription drugs. Over time, the patient begins to identify the drug colour with a cure for the ailment. To further differentiate pharmaceutical drugs, the medicines are given distinct shapes and flavour coating.

Everyone, right from the workers at the manufacturer’s production line and healthcare workers to physicians and patients, benefit from the colour of medicines. Additionally, the aesthetic appeal of the drug colour helps branding and marketing teams to promote the drug. Learn more about pharmaceutical dyes and pigments. Explore the fascinating world of pharmaceutical colors.

Significance of Color Quality of Pharmaceuticals & Food Products

Color is one of the primary things through which you remember the taste and quality of the food. Not just appearance, color also signifies the quality of the food and the ingredients used in it. For the pharmaceutical and food manufacturers, you need to know that in order to make the food appealing you must use the right colors. Apart from this, to maintain the psychological reason you must understand the relation between food colors and the client’s taste. To help you understand this better and to make this simpler, the food color measurement equipment's come to the rescue. If you want to know more about the significance of color quality of pharmaceuticals and food products read out here:

Role of color quality
Each color has its own importance and role play in food. For instance, colors such as yellow and red appeal a lot of people and compel them to grab the food. This is because both these colors are associated with hunger and provokes it. If you have seen carefully, most food chains or outlets use these two colors or either one of these in their logos to draw your attention. As such the pharmaceutical colors manufacturers make colors, keeping many things in their minds. However, if the color manufactured is meant for food coloring, then several things are strictly taken into consideration. When you measure the color quality as well as the food significance it gives you the batch concentration. This helps you maintain the best quality of the color to be used. Now, when you are able to verify the batch concentration, the rejection level also drops down. This in return helps you avoid rejection of a large quantity of product and save money. Next, when it comes to the pharmaceutical ones, the safety and quality of the colors become a primary concern. Some factors include color temperature like warm colors, neutral colors and many more.

The effect on pharmaceutical and food products
When it comes to pharmaceutical packaging, color choice is based on visual appearance. Just like the color of a medication is believed to have an impact on the consumer’s mind, similarly the pharmaceutical dyes used in packaging it has an effect that shapes the consumer’s expectations. There is no doubt, this is one of the reasons as why most companies use eye catching colors in their food products and pharmaceutical products. Packaging colors such as brown, red and gray are used to mark serious illness medicines.

How does it help?
The food color is one of the most important factors in determining the acceptance. Usually every person wants to see their food in natural color. There are many people who associate natural color with high quality pharmaceuticals and food products. The quality of pharmaceutical colors is also important for the manufacturers as it matters to the customers a lot.

Importance of color quality
Be it food products or pharmaceutical product color quality is always one of the primary concerns of the manufacturers and the consumers as well. These products also have a significant effect on the people’s health. For instance, a quality color can have a calming effect on your mind while others might not. Above all, no matter what color the manufacturers choose, it all depends on the consumer how they take it and what impact it has on them.

How to measure consistency?
As earlier said, to have a proper impact on the customers, it is important to have a proper level of intensity of these pharmaceutical colors. Accurate measurement of these colors not only help you enhance the look of the product, but also help you identify the quality and quantity of the ingredients used. When it comes to measuring the pharmaceutical dyes and its consistency, the manufacturers use pharmaceutical measurement devices to get the accurate result. These devices help you analyze the color consistency of the product which again help in verifying batch consistency of product. Coming to color measurement, there is a significant device available for use which is known as the color measurement instrument. Almost all of these color measurement devices are portable and gives the most accurate result possible. Due to this reason, many leading industries use the device to check color quantity and quality used in their products.

With that being said, there are several factors that contribute to the importance of color quality in both food products and pharmaceutical products. The importance of color quality of pharmaceuticals are many and hard to ignore when it comes to the quality of the food.

Why pharmaceutical colours are so important?

Every colour has an influence on the human mind. No wonder, colour science remains significant in the consumption behaviour of medicines by patients. Colour is not merely selected by pharma companies but it is carefully chosen after extensive research. Pharmaceutical colors manufacturers follow certain standards to create the suitable colours for various medicines because colour properties can expedite the wellness of patients and provide other benefits.

Colour – The Healer

Every colour signifies something. If blue is for calmness then red is for vitality. The colour itself starts the healing process even before the medicine is consumed. Colour enhances the effect of medicine on different illnesses.

Identify better with colour

Apart from the visual appeal, colours are used in medicine to differentiate them and thus, avoid confusion. Elderly patients will find it easier to find the right medicine based on colour codes. Pharmaceutical Colour Measurement devices help to select the right consistency and attain accuracy in colours. The exact proportion of colour should be used as per the guidelines of regulatory authorities for appropriate usage of colours in pharma products.

Follow standards for wellness

Pharmaceutical colours can be used in internal medicines such as tablets; capsules etc. or for external applications such as ointments, gel etc. These colours have to be prepared as per the methods and tests put forward by governing authorities. Any kind of lapse on following the guidelines can lead to low quality of products and sometimes lead to permanent problems for patients that can even prove fatal.

Better sales with colours

On the business side, colours affect sales figures too. For example, a tablet in yellow colour of a specific shape can be related to a brand which the patients can easily connect to. On the other hand, a white tablet in a commonly available shape gets lost among many other similar looking tablets in the market. The colour of the medicine gives it a distinct identity.

Certain colours such as natural colours are exempt from certification while other chemical-based colours need to be certified by pharmaceutical color manufacturers. Metal oxides, aluminium lakes and non-synthetics are pigments used in colours for pharmaceutical products. Water soluble colours are used in medicines for dispersion properties that help consume the medicine. Pharma colourants such as organic, inorganic or water-soluble are selected based on their properties.

Control of batch to batch colour variation is of utmost importance for pharmaceutical colors manufacturers. Any variation can lead to quality concerns in colour coating. Manufacturing of these colours depend on the uncompromising quality standards set by the governing authorities and varies from country to country.

Koel colour is a leading manufacturer of colours for pharmaceutical products. The company is a specialist in organic colourants, inorganic colourants and water-soluble colours for pharma. The high-quality and well-researched pharmaceutical colours including pharmaceutical dyes by Koel colours are widely used by leading pharma companies with stringent policies.

What’s your take on significance of colours? Any insights on pharmaceutical colours that you find fascinating?

Why use colours for pharmaceutical products?

Ever thought about pharmaceutical colours? Colours can be used in pharma for various reasons. Did you know, there is a variation in acceptance of pharma colours in different countries. Some of the widely used colours in pharma are white, blue, red, yellow, green and brown. Pharmaceutical colors manufacturers use colours made of natural or synthetic substances to achieve the right formulation.

Colours for pharmaceutical products are used to impart organoleptic properties or for technical purposes. Organoleptic properties are aspects of food or other substances that make it more appealing to the senses of consumers such as sight, smell, taste and touch. Colours are combined with flavours such as strawberry, mint etc. and matched with the formulation of the drugs to be created. Colour Measurement and control is necessary for achieving the consistency in application of pharmaceutical dyes.

Why colour is important in pharma?

• Therapeutic objectives can be easily achieved with the help of pharmaceutical colours. After all, colourful medicines are more comforting to patients, mainly children.
• Colour, shape and size of a drug eliminates the risk of counterfeiting.
• Colour coated drugs in various shapes and sizes help to differentiate the medicines, making it easier for end use and avoiding confusion.
• These days, colourful medicines help in advertising the product too.

Types of colours for pharmaceutical products

Dyes and pigments are two types of colorants used in various industries such as food, pharma etc. Pigments used in the pharmaceutical industry are oxides, lakes and non-synthetics.

Titanium and Iron Oxides

These pigments have wide acceptability, good chemical and light stability along with excellent opacity. But oxides have a limited colour range and mainly feature dull colours.

Aluminium Lake Colours

Lake colours are created using straight dyes with precipitants and salts through reactions. Usually, the blue-coloured aluminium lake colours are used as additives to coat tablets in the pharma industry due to their stability.  Lake colours are insoluble in water and therefore, are used in prescribed quantities to protect the contents of the pill from getting affected.

Aluminium lake colours have a wide range of bright colours and retain the brightness when mixed together with other substances. It has low opacity compared to other pigments and certain particle properties may affect its stability.

Non-synthetic colours

Non-synthetic colours have high acceptability but may not be feasible due to high cost. Also, the range of colours and poor properties in certain instances can be a disadvantage for these colour pigments.

Synthetic Pharmaceutical dyes are used as per the prescribed norms of the relevant authorities of the country where the product is to be consumed.  Strict compliance to the regulations is required by pharmaceutical colors manufacturers to ensure that the colours are safe for end use. Every country has a set of certified colours and detailed technical information that are followed only by reputed pharmaceutical colors manufacturers.

So, what your opinion about colour-coated pharma products like medicinal pills? Would you prefer Aluminium Lakes for brighter colours?