How can I replace Yellow 6?

Yellow 6 imparts a bright orange color to food and beverages. Fortunately, nature’s rainbow includes a wide range of alternatives developers can consider, including paprika, annatto, beta carotene, and more. You can also try blends of natural yellows with natural reds.

Do I have to replace Yellow 6?

No, Yellow 6 is still federally approved for use in food and beverages in North America. However, many U.S. states are passing legislating targeting synthetic dyes and consumers are demanding cleaner labels, so many brands are proactively removing it.

Can I use paprika as a spice to add color?

When ingredients are used specifically to add color, they must be labeled appropriately in the ingredient statement. Additionally, the paprika you may use for flavor is not developed for coloring purposes. The paprika Sensient uses as a natural color is optimized for its coloring power, not its flavor.

What natural orange colors are there?

Natural orange color sources include paprika, annatto, beta carotene, lycopene, and carrot.

What colors are exempt from FDA certification?

Commonly known as “natural colors”, colors that are exempt from FDA certification are all those that are not synthetic dyes like FD&C Yellow 6.

Are orange color additives FDA approved?

The FDA has approved many color additives exempt from certification for use in food and beverages. These include beta carotene, annatto, paprika, carrot, and more.

Natural Orange Alternatives to Yellow 6

FD&C Yellow 6, also known as Sunset Yellow, imparts a bright orange color to food and beverages.

Used in over 40% of all North American launches with synthetic colors, it is popular across almost all segments of the market, from bakery to confectionery to snacks to dairy to beverages. This versatile hue can communicate sweet citrus notes, savory cheesy profiles, or bold spicy flavors. With such wide use, it’s important for developers to find stable, bright natural color alternatives to Yellow 6.

While bold oranges can be achieved using blends of natural reds and yellows, often our customers are seeking the most efficient and turnkey color solution for a specific project. Check out these orange color solutions based on single botanical components, along with tips and tricks for using each one efficiently:

Annatto

Annatto is a versatile color solution within the orange family, with good heat and light stability. Sensient offers this colorant as both a water- and oil-soluble solution, making it easy to use across applications. We also have an acid-proof option, which is popular in lower pH systems like beverages. Sensient’s focus on robust supply chain security for this botanical and others ensures that we are vertically integrated from seed to shelf, optimizing cost for our customers each step of the way to finished goods.

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Paprika

Paprika is a heat-stable solution well-recognized by consumers on an ingredient list. Naturally oil-soluble, it thrives in low-water applications. The powder version also performs extremely well in dry seasoning applications. We also know how important food safety is to our customers. Our Certasure™ program protects our paprika solutions from risks like pesticides so that brands can be confident in the food safety standards of their color ingredients.

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Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene solutions can be both natural and nature-identical, offering a wide range of orange hues to developers across applications. These colors are preferred for their excellent stability and wide color variety, from warm peachy oranges to yellow-orange shades. Beta-carotenes are also available in the red and yellow family for even more options.

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Lycopene

Lycopene has excellent heat, water, acid, and light stability, making it a flexible option for orange shades across applications. While it presents in the red and pink family for beverage and dairy applications, this colorant offers orange hues across baking, processed, confectionery, and pet products.

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Carrot

Carrot offers an easily recognizable clean-label solution for orange hues that will appeal to natural-ingredient-seeking consumers. For developers working with beverages that benefit from a visual cloud, carrot juice is a smart choice. Its broad stability makes it popular across all applications.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I replace Yellow 6?: Yellow 6 imparts a bright orange color to food and beverages. Fortunately, nature’s rainbow includes a wide range of alternatives developers can consider, including paprika, annatto, beta carotene, and more. You can also try blends of natural yellows with natural reds.

Do I have to replace Yellow 6?: No, Yellow 6 is still federally approved for use in food and beverages in North America. However, many U.S. states are passing legislating targeting synthetic dyes and consumers are demanding cleaner labels, so many brands are proactively removing it.

Can I use paprika as a spice to add color?: When ingredients are used specifically to add color, they must be labeled appropriately in the ingredient statement. Additionally, the paprika you may use for flavor is not developed for coloring purposes. The paprika Sensient uses as a natural color is optimized for its coloring power, not its flavor.

What natural orange colors are there?: Natural orange color sources include paprika, annatto, beta carotene, lycopene, and carrot.

What colors are exempt from FDA certification?: Commonly known as “natural colors”, colors that are exempt from FDA certification are all those that are not synthetic dyes like FD&C Yellow 6.

Are orange color additives FDA approved?: The FDA has approved many color additives exempt from certification for use in food and beverages. These include beta carotene, annatto, paprika, carrot, and more.

Natural Orange Alternatives to Yellow 6

Natural Orange Colors to Replace Yellow 6

Annatto

Paprika

Beta-Carotene

Lycopene

Carrot

Color Technologies Amplifying Natural Orange Innovations

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I replace Yellow 6?

Do I have to replace Yellow 6?

Can I use paprika as a spice to add color?

What natural orange colors are there?

What colors are exempt from FDA certification?

Are orange color additives FDA approved?

But how do you know when to use each of these solutions?

Related Articles

Natural Orange Alternatives to Yellow 6

Natural Orange Colors to Replace Yellow 6

Annatto

Paprika

Beta-Carotene

Lycopene

Carrot

Color Technologies Amplifying Natural Orange Innovations

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I replace Yellow 6?

Do I have to replace Yellow 6?

Can I use paprika as a spice to add color?

What natural orange colors are there?

What colors are exempt from FDA certification?

Are orange color additives FDA approved?

But how do you know when to use each of these solutions?

Related Articles

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