About 75% of the first visual assessment of food and beverages is based on colour alone as it communicates taste and quality expectations. Driven by a strong health drive in the food industry, manufacturers are increasingly moving away from artificial colours to true natural Colouring Foods. Still, there are a lot of suppliers sticking to their existing recipes. Food and beverage companies aiming to benefit from the trend towards naturalness should consider these seven reasons for using Colouring Foods.
1: Consumer Demand for Natural Ingredients
Consumers of today demand naturalness. A global survey found that 54% worldwide look for products that are made with natural colours only (source: GNT Group and TNS). In fact, people have a clear conception of what a natural colour is: originating from edible raw materials and 100 percent naturally produced. This applies to Colouring Foods. Artificial colours, but also so-called natural colourants, which are created with the aid of chemicals and can be made from non-edible material, clearly contradict this wish.
2: Clear Labelling
Colouring Foods are concentrates obtained exclusively from fruit, vegetables and edible plants. They are manufactured through gentle physical processes such as pressing, chopping and filtering – without any chemicals. Therefore, they can simply be declared as food, eg “Colouring Food (concentrate of carrot, elderberries)”. This is ideal to meet consumers’ demand for short ingredient lists with components they know and understand.
3: Independence of Regulatory Changes
Food colouring is becoming the subject of increasingly strict regulations. In the Gulf region, as of 1st of January 2017, food and drinks containing Allura Red AC, Sunset Yellow, Azorubine or Tartrazine are required to carry the statement: “This material may be having a negative effect on activity and concentration in children.” Such a warning might lead to a competitive disadvantage. Due to their clear labelling, Colouring Foods provide a future-proof alternative.
4: Broad Applicability
Production processes and raw material bases for Colouring Foods have been constantly optimised throughout the last years. Today, they can be used in practically all product categories, ranging from confectionery, dairy and bakery to beverages and savoury applications. They are suitable for water- and fat-based, liquid and powdery recipes. The market leader in the field, GNT Group, even offers a micronised powder solution. Colouring Foods are appropriate for vegetarians or vegans and available with certification for kosher and halal products.
5: Wide Colour Range and High Performance
Colouring Foods are comparable to artificial or natural colouring additives in terms of stability, shelf life, brilliance and variety. Basically, all colours for all applications are available on the market. They are marketed as EXBERRY® Colouring Foods which cover more than 400 different shades. The line is based on a proprietary procedure of mixing different raw materials to deliver the exact hue and intensity for the product in question.
6: Food Security
Manufacturers need to rely on optimum quality and absolute safety of their ingredients. For Colouring Foods, this can be guaranteed by a vertically integrated value chain. Thereby, suppliers control every step of the production, from the selection of the right seeds and best raw materials to the perfect timing of harvesting at peak ripeness and fast processing of all materials.
7: Ease of Handling
Every product has its own specifics when it comes to applying Colouring Foods. However, if having a deep knowledge of their characteristics and how a recipe can affect their performance, the handling is easy and uncomplicated. Factors that need to be considered and controlled include water activity, pH value, total acidity, density, water and fat content. Moreover, shelf life and storage conditions, the manufacturing process and equipment as well as temperature scales need to be taken into account. To achieve best results, it is important to get individually tailored advice and support through the product development process.
