As natural color demand surges, supply chains are strained, and some brands may look to the edges of the market to find solutions. However, it’s important to bear in mind that not all suppliers are equally reliable, and not all botanicals are equally sourced.
Many color crops are traditionally grown in regions of the world with current and historical ties to problematic labor practices. One such example is the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. This region is known for human rights violations of Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities including widespread forced labor. As a result, the U.S. State Department prohibits the use of goods produced or manufactured wholly or in part in the XUAR of China under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Any food or beverage ingredients, including certain botanical colorants, produced in this region are banned from entering the United States due to associations with forced labor.
