My father is big on food coloring. He can’t make mashed potatoes without some sort of color alteration. He does the same thing with bottled pears. This food tends to come out pastel unless you add a lot of food coloring. It is a big hit with the grandchildren but freaks out the unwarned.
I once had a friend who took a coaching position at her alma mater’s arch rival. Since her new school colors were blue I did a (pastel) blue farewell cake with vivid blue icing (I had to add a 2 oz bottle of food coloring before it looked right). I could tell that I had eaten this cake for several days afterward just by glancing in the toilet bowl.