Industry Trends

Natural food colorants are natural coloring substances obtained by purifying from plant, microbial, and animal materials using physical methods. These natural food pigments have been widely used in the food industry due to their unique benefits such as high safety, low negative effects and multiple health benefi ts compared with synthetic food pigments.

Here are some prevalent natural pigments：

1. Beet root Red: An extract derived from red beet roots. Its color changes from red to purple as the pH changes. This pigment is widely used in the food industry, including beverages, candies, dairy products and cakes.

2. Carotenoids: A group of compounds that includes beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene, carotenoids are abundant in a wide array of fruits and vegetables, imparting these foods with their vibrant yellow, orange, and red hues. As potent antioxidants, carotenoids play a crucial role in preventing cardiovascular diseases and certain forms of cancer.

3. Gardenia Yellow: This natural food coloring is derived from the fruit of the Gardenia plant, employing physical extraction and refining techniques. The pigment's aqueous solution exhibits a brownish-yellow hue, and its colorfastness remains largely impervious to environmental fluctuations and pH variations.

4. Curcumin: Extracted from the rhizome of Turmeric, a ginger plant, appears as orange-yellow powder. Under alkaline conditions, curcumin turns dark red brown; under acidic conditions, it turns light yellow. The pigment is resistant to heat and oxidation, has excellent dyeing properties, bright color and strong stability.

5. Chlorophyll: Found in all green plants and is divided into two forms: chlorophyll a (blue-green) and chlorophyll b (yellow-green). As a natural colorant, chlorophyll not only adds color to a variety of foods, but also has certain health functions.

6. Phycocyanine: Phycocyanin extracted from the algae spores of the cyanobacteria Spirulina genus, and a natural pigment extracted through modern biotechnology. The aqueous solution of phycocyanin presents a bright blue color, a beautiful sapphire color under visible light, and has good stability under weak acid and neutral conditions.

7. Anthocyanins: This is a water-soluble pigment widely found in red, purple and blue plants and is commonly found in foods such as grapes, elderberries and red cabbage. Anthocyanins have antioxidant properties that help reduce the risk of heart disease, increase resistance to influenza viruses and protect vision.

Natural pigments have a wide range of applications, including beverages, candies, dairy products, cakes, canned products, seasonings, baked goods, health foods, medicines and cosmetics. They are often more popular than synthetic colors as consumers increasingly tend to choose healthier, more natural products. As technology develops, the production and application of natural pigments will continue to expand to meet the market demand for health and safety products.