**10. Safety and toxicology of anthocyanins**

Consumption of anthocyanins is generally recognized as safe for humans, since they have been a part of our diets for generations, and so far, no harmful effects have been reported. This may be associated with their low absorption and bioavailability. Nevertheless, the use of nutritional supplements based on anthocyanins is a growing trend among consumers, and this has raised some concern because the doses recommended by manufacturers are generally much higher than that given by natural foods. Furthermore, no regulation is available for such dietetic supplements in the United States, among other countries, which may result in fraudulent/adulterated products. It is also likely that people looking to benefit from anthocyanins are also using other supplements or pharmaceuticals. Anthocyanins are treated as xenobiotics [50] and, therefore, are able to modulate biochemical activities or compete for several enzymes that metabolize or transport medications [51]. This increases the risk for potential adverse effects and toxicity due to interactions with pharmaceuticals. However, so far, no reports have demonstrated adverse effects on anthocyanins in levels associated to a healthy diet.

## **11. Perspectives of inclusion of anthocyanins in processed foods**

Several studies show the possibility of replacing artificial food colorings for anthocyanins, such as those derived from flowers. When mixed into dairy matrices such as yogurt, there are some improvements in the production and final product [17]. Furthermore, the addition of anthocyanins is not only recommended for their color and bioactivity, since recent studies propose their use during processing and/or storage of the final product by their inclusion into intelligent films based on biodegradable polymers, which work as biosensors due to their high sensitivity to pH changes. In this manner, freshness of meat and fish may be monitored [52, 53]. Both studies used *Hibiscus* flower extract due to its low cost. Other researchers have studied anthocyanins from purple cabbage (*Brassica oleracea*) as temperature indicator when incorporated into chitosan films; this study also suggests its application in the production of smart food packages [54].

## **Acknowledgements**

The authors thank the support of the PROFAPI-ITSON as funded with the PFCE 2019 resource for the realization of the present.

*Natural vs Synthetic Colors DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86887*
