Natural colors, that is. Consumers say they want natural ingredients, so dairy processors are aiming to please. Color suppliers offer some advice about reformulating products with natural colors.
Allen Flavors’ flavor creation laboratory added 15 new organic flavors to its portfolio which are all compatible with dairy-produced teas and beverages.
For years, dairy formulators had few FDA-approved naturally derived color options in the green-blue-purple range. That has changed with the allowable use of spirulina extract.
The food and beverage industry whizzed past a major milestone in 2011, when for the first time ever the global value of the natural colorants market exceeded that of its synthetic counterparts.
Don’t mourn the passing of synthetics just yet, says one color supplier. The demand for artificial colors has not decreased. It has remained very consistent and we expect to see that trend continue, he said.
For ages, cheesemakers used spices to color their products. Other dairy food processors, however, have formulated with synthetic colorants. As consumers scrutinize food labels, the entire dairy industry is seeking natural alternatives. Thankfully, the technology has improved.
Sensient Colors LLC, a business unit of Sensient Technologies Corporation (NYSE:SXT) has expanded its research and development efforts on a global scale, and developed an Advanced Emulsion Technology for natural colors.