Do these candies have artificial colors in them?

2 comments

1. As far as I can tell the only colorants are from safflower, cape jasmine, beet, annatto, and carotene

2. Konpeito date to the mid Meiji period (they originated as diplomatic candies inside bonbonnieres) and so the original recipes used organic colors. If these are “authentic” then they’ll use natural coloring. I can’t see any weird coloring compounds listed so these might be all natural!