Coloring naturally

Anthocyanins also produce a natural red — as well as a range of pinks and purples. But they are pH-sensitive and usually only water-soluble. Wild Flavors recently released its NET (Nano Encapsulation Technology) Colors Anthocyanin, an oil-soluble, kosher red alternative to carmine for use in cocoa butter-based coatings, chocolates and fat fillings.

Other popular anthocyanin colorant sources include elderberry, red cabbage, black carrots and grapes. Newer to the scene is the purple sweet potato, which has a color similar to red cabbage but a much cleaner aroma and taste.

Blues, yellows and oranges

For years, this color has given the natural coloring industry a case of the blues. However, several companies have developed natural blue options for processors. ColorMaker Inc. (www.colormaker.com), Anaheim, Calif., developed an organic-compliant, oil-dispersible blue that works well in cocoa butter, buttercreams and dairy products of pH 5.5 to 6 or higher. “There are no preservatives because we use a vegetable-based emulsifier instead of a synthetic version, such as the commonly used polysorbate. We are able to fit into the 95/5 rule,” says Stephan Lauro, general manager of ColorMaker.

RFI Ingredients (www.rfiingredients.com), Blauvelt, N.Y., also is touting a new anthocyanin-based blue available in both water-soluble and oil-dispersible forms. It gives a sky-blue shade comparable to synthetic blue but, as with all other blues, it is only suitable for applications with high pH. The downside is, because it has includes a preservative it’s not organic compliant.

And what do you get when you mix blue and yellow? Green. “You have to have a stable blue to get a good green, and now we have it. It’s perfect for natural or organic green-colored white chocolate or naturally colored green tea ice cream,” says Lauro. The next big blue breakthrough to hope for in the future: a water-soluble, low pH-stable, natural blue. “This is the Holy Grail of all natural colors,” he adds.

Another issue troubling natural color makers is creating a truly water-soluble yellow or orange shade. RFI’s’ Clear-Col and Wild’s NET-turmeric are two solutions.

“The options in this color range are mostly naturally oil-soluble colorants, such as carotene and paprika. Although there are water-dispersible forms available, they can give beverage applications undesirable cloudiness,” says Thanyaporn Siriwoharn, RFI product development manager. “Using microemulsion technology, we can offer bright color shades from lemon to orange and green with excellent clarity in application.”

According to Siriwoharn, the product is stable in heat, light and acidic conditions. However, it contains an antioxidant that is not organic-compliant.

There are several choices for fat-soluble yellows, including vitamin A-rich beta-carotene. Also, Wild Flavors and DSM Nutrition Products (www.nutraaccess.com), Parsippany, N.J., offer natural versions derived from fungi plus several lab-synthesized “nature identical” versions.

One of the most popular natural yellows is annatto, which is available in water-soluble and fat-soluble forms. “Annato offers a cost-effective choice primarily because the tropical seeds they’re made from contain a color content as high as 4 to 5 percent, while most fruit and vegetable sources contain only 1 percent or less,” says Niel Dinesen, senior advisor at D.D. Williamson.

D.D. Williamson also developed an annatto powder colorant as an alternative comparative to synthetics. It’s shelf-stable over several years. Although there are vegetable oil-extracted versions of annatto, one of the primary forms of extraction uses potassium or sodium chloride (salt).

While this is a synthetic exception permitted under the organic standards list, it still is considered a chemical agent. Organic processors desiring a clean label are using carrot and pumpkin juice concentrates, according to Hake of GNT.