Natural Colorants from Safflower Florets in Response to Sowing Time and Plant Density

Recently, natural pigments have been drawn general attention due to restrictions on using synthetic pigments for food colorants. Dried petals of safflower contain edible pigments largely applied in the past as textile dye but that are being currently used as a natural food colorant. In this study, the effects of sowing time and plant density on florets and pigment production were the examined in a cultivar of safflower cultivated under a typical Mediterranean environment.