Have you ever thought about pharmaceutical colours? Pigments or colours are used in pharmaceutical industries for various reasons. Do you know, in different countries, there is a lot of variation in approval of pharmacy colours? A few colours widely used in pharmacy are blue, red, yellow, brown and green. Reputed manufacturers of pigments for pharmaceutical colours like Neelikon Colour Global, use colours made of synthetic or natural substances to get the right formulation.
Colours or pigments used for pharmaceutical products are mainly for technical purposes or used to impart organoleptic properties. These properties in respect of food or other things make it more appealing to consumers’ senses, such as smell, sight, touch and taste. Colours are mostly combined with flavours like mint, strawberry etc. and further matched with drug formulation to be created. Colour control and measurement is essential for achieving the right consistency in the application of such pharmaceutical dyes.
Colour importance in pharmacy
- Colour coated drugs come in different sizes and shapes, so they help to differentiate various medicines, avoiding confusion and making it much easier for users.
- Therapeutic objectives could be achieved easily with the great help of pharmaceutical colours. As colourful medicines are more approachable to patients, especially children.
- Shape, size and colour of drugs eliminate the risk of any counterfeiting.
- Nowadays, colourful medicines even help in advertising various products.
Types of colours used for pharmaceutical products
Pigments and dyes are 2 types colorants mainly used in different industries like pharmacy, food etc. Pigments for pharmaceutical colours comprise of lakes, non-synthetics and oxides.
Aluminium lake colours
These colours are made by using straight dyes with salts and precipitants through reactions. Mostly, the blue-coloured aluminium lake colours are often used as additives for coating tablets in the pharmacy industry because of their stability. Lake colours are easily soluble in water and thus, are used in specific quantities for protecting the pill contents from getting affected in any way.
Titanium & iron oxides
These pigments for pharmaceutical colours are widely accepted, having light stability and good chemical along with brilliant opacity. But note that oxides have limited range of colours, and specifically feature dull shades.
Non-synthetic colours
These colours have a very high acceptability but might not be quite feasible due to its high cost. Also, the colour range and poor properties in some instances could be a great disadvantage for these pigments.
Synthetic dyes for pharmacy are used as per the strict prescribed norms of the authorities of countries where a product is to be consumed. Very strict compliance to some regulations is needed by pharmaceutical pigment manufacturers to make sure that these colours are quite safe for users. Every country has a set pattern for certified colours as well detailed technical information which is strictly followed by reputable pharmaceutical colours suppliers and manufacturers.
Neelikon Colours Global offers US FDA certified colours and lakes for all pharmaceutical industries, including customized blends, water soluble colours in granular and powder form as well as water insoluble lakes that are finely grounded, ideally suited for tablet coating.
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