Abstract:Food color was divided into three categories,that was tar pigments, natural pigments and others. Edible tar pigment was classified to azo, triarylmethane, xanthene, fluorescent ketone, quinoline derivatives and indigo dye, and natural pigment was classified to tetrapyrroles (porphyrins) derivatives, isoprene derivatives, anthocyanin derivatives, ketone derivatives, quinone derivatives and the others according to their chemical structure.There are INS,E-number,C.I and the code about synthetic pigment in some countries in food color.The regulations and the use varieties about food color of China, CAC, Russia, EU, US, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong , Macao and China Taiwan was introduced respectively. Comparison analysis about differences in formulation of food additicve standard, prohibition about colour variety, attitude about usage of edible tar colour, and colour variety (tar colur,natural colour and others),scope and limits about color usage were performed with comparative analysis. Color usage in the produce of export food in accordance with standard of destination , focus on variety and limit of colour in import food according to their sources was proposed, and trends about usage of food color was Prospect ed also.