Natural color makers like California Natural Color, IFF and Kalsec, among others, are playing the right game at the right time – but staying in it will require more than just having a rainbow palette.
Natural color manufacturer, California Natural Color is innovating how natural colors are delivered to manufacturers.
With sourcing pressures mounting, companies will need to double down on supply chain security and broaden their ingredient base to stay ahead of both demand and disruption, according to Dana Osborn, marketing manager for California Natural Color during the IFT Food Improved by Research, Science and Technology (FIRST) expo in Chicago.
Between hiring a supply chain management lead and “constant monitoring and communication” with raw material suppliers, the company, like many others, is focused on supply chain resilience and traceability as demand booms.
As a division of E&J Gallo Wines, California Natural Color’s vertically integrated grape supply chain allows the company to rely on its own grape production to produce colors from the skin.
For its other colors, the company sources domestically and globally, Osborn said. In 2010, the company launched its proprietary crystal colors in addition to its existing liquid and powder formats.
How can crystal colors improve margins?
From a natural red 40 alternative made from red radish or red carrot to spirulina for blue and green, the company’s proprietary crystal option may boost hues, said Osborn.
However, these colors may not exactly match the intensity and vibrancy of synthetics, she warned.
Yet, a less vibrant shade is not necessarily negative because of the health perception associated with natural products and its colors, Osborn added.
The company’s crystal colors deliver a higher color concentration, which is about five to 10 times more than a liquid format, Osborn explained. The crystals are ideal for a range of applications – from sports and energy drinks and carbonated soft drinks to dairy and hard candies.
The higher concentration also offers a potential cost benefit depending on the application since it would require a lower usage rate, she added.
Compared to its liquid counterpart, which has about a one-to-two-year shelf life, the crystals are shelf stable, have a five-year shelf life and do not require refrigeration, which will help manufacturers’ supply, Osborn highlighted.
FDA accelerates natural color approvals
While some CPG food companies have been actively removing synthetic dyes from their portfolios prior to the FDA’s suggested phase out, many others will have until Jan. 15, 2028, to meet the agency’s goals.
In the past three months, FDA announced four new additions to its list of natural color additives: butterfly pea flower extract (blue), Galdieria extract blue (from red algae Galdieria sulphuraria), calcium phosphate (white) and gardenia blue – the fastest expansion of the natural color palette in years.
FDA defines natural colors as “exempt-from-certification color additives” and its synthetic counterparts as “certified color additives.” Unlike certified color additives, which must be submitted to FDA for certification testing, food color manufacturers are responsible for self-certifying natural colors and must adhere to FDA’s requirements for identity, composition and purity, according to the agency.
