Lycored has released test results demonstrating the excellent stability of its True to Fruit natural colours in fruit preparations for yoghurts, and in flavoured sparkling waters.
The global carotenoid leader showcased data from two scientific trials at IFT 17 in Las Vegas. One shows that its natural colourants perform better than alternatives in fruit preparations for yoghurts. The other demonstrates their resistance to fade, ringing and sedimentation in sparkling flavoured waters.
Preventing migration and fade in fruit-layered yoghurts
Lycored first set out to explore the stability of its lycopene and betacarotene-derived colourants in fruit preparations in four varieties of fruit preparations layered on yoghurt. It compared their performance with other natural colourants, such as paprika, carmine and carrot concentrate, as well as fruit preparations containing no colour. The tests replicated the temperature and light conditions of a typical retail environment over 30 days.
In the yoghurt containing lemon preparation, there was significant fade and migration in the sample coloured with paprika, compared with the sample coloured with Lyc-O-Beta Clear Emulsion. In the strawberry samples, there was severe migration from the carmine-based colourant, compared with the samples coloured with Tomat-O-Red NGNS and Tomat-O-Red FP. There was also significant fade and distortion from the sample containing fruit preparation with no colour, highlighting the need for colours to be added to fruit preparations to deliver consumer appeal.
Lycored then tested Tomat-O-Red and Lyc-O-Beta in yoghurts in 100kg batches in an industrial environment. In each of the samples, Lycored’s colours remained stable at various temperatures up to 90°C for over 30 minutes’ holding time, demonstrating that they are process stable, even when subjected to high heat levels.
Stability in flavoured beverages
In the second trial Lycored tested the performance of its natural colours in flavoured and coloured sparkling waters – one of the beverage categories for which they are ideal.
Researchers assessed the stability of three Tomat-O-Red and four Lyc-O-Beta variants in sparkling water containing strawberry-flavoured syrup over a 12-month shelf life.
Each sample was checked at regular intervals. Both Tomat-O-Red(R) and Lyc-O-Beta (R) delivered excellent performance, demonstrating resistance to fading, ringing and lack of sedimentation.
Tammi Higgins, Business Unit Head, Colours at Lycored said: “Every day we are learning more about the possibilities offered by our natural colourants, showing that they demonstrate stability in a growing number of applications. There is a long-standing perception that natural colours are hard to work with, or do not perform to the level of artificial alternatives. We are working towards a day when that is a thing of the past.”
