The Future of Food Safety with Natural Colors

Sweeping natural conversion is introducing new challenges to the supply chain.

Natural conversion in the United States will be the biggest market shift the color world has ever seen. The pace brands and retailers are setting for the shift from synthetic to natural colors is unprecedented at this scale. As a result, demand for botanical colorants is expected to peak sharply in 2026 and 2027. This volatility is something Sensient has planned and prepared for over a span of years, but the market is still expected to strain while it adjusts.

As demand increases exponentially, we expect to see increased failure rates in our testing protocols for adulteration and contamination. These failures may be the result of bad actors intentionally contaminating products for profit, but they may also be accidental as suppliers rush to try to keep up with rapidly rising demand. Either way, our standards remain the same, and we will continue to reject botanical lots that fail our testing.

Natural colors, however, do not have the same requirements.

There is no universal standard in place. Each regional body has established different expectations and limitations for various risks, none exactly matching the next.

The U.S. FDA has established guidelines, but compliance and testing are left up to manufacturers’ “best ability”, as determined by the manufacturer themselves. As a leading global manufacturer of both synthetic and natural colors, Sensient’s ability to test against safety standards is extremely strong. A manufacturer having limited testing capabilities or less sensitive equipment does not make it acceptable to use contaminated or unsafe substances in food and beverage products. If the FDA or a consumer group were to test a product and find it over the approved limit, that supplier would be acting against the stated guidelines.

Vertical integration helps ensure food safety, security, and transparency as well.

Because Sensient has primary extraction and manufacturing capabilities around the world near the farms where our botanicals are grown and harvested, we know the exact steps our products pass through before they get to our customers.

Botanicals are highly sensitive to potential contaminants in their environment or growing area. Plants can be affected by so many things: the soil, water, air, precipitation, nutrients added to the soil, pesticides used to deter pests or weeds, or neighboring fields or events can all impact the color extracted from a botanical source.

Changes in the landscape and new and emerging risks demand constant vigilance. Certasure™ is our answer. We are careful to select and screen new botanicals, vendors, and farmer partners to ensure the safety of our products.

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The Future of Food Safety with Natural Colors

Sensient’s Certasure™ program ensures compliance, quality, and industry-leading food safety standards for our botanically sourced natural colors.

This blog is part of an ongoing series sharing details about each of our robust screening processes.

Learn more about our testing protocols in each of these blogs:

Pesticides

Heavy Metals

Microbiological Contamination

Adulteration

Unauthorized Solvents

It is critical now more than ever before to be diligent in risk assessment and awareness.

Related Articles

The Future of Food Safety with Natural Colors

Sensient’s Certasure™ program ensures compliance, quality, and industry-leading food safety standards for our botanically sourced natural colors.

This blog is part of an ongoing series sharing details about each of our robust screening processes.

Learn more about our testing protocols in each of these blogs:

Pesticides

Heavy Metals

Microbiological Contamination

Adulteration

Unauthorized Solvents

It is critical now more than ever before to be diligent in risk assessment and awareness.

Related Articles

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