Karen Brimmer
R&D Karen Brimmer

Examining Brown Color Solutions

collage of chocolate milk, ribs, and ice cream
caramel drip
usa map made of caramel

Are there clean label natural brown colors?

sienna logo with brown muffins
brown coloring powder and brown liquid coloring

What’s next for natural brown food color?

Although there is a wide range of natural brown food colors available for developers to try, there are always opportunities to reduce costs and improve stability for our customers. Sensient’s goal is to push the boundaries of color R&D to offer our customers the best and brightest, and there are exciting developments on the horizon.

Next in our development queue are some exciting expansions to the Sienna™ portfolio, primarily focusing on dark brown shades to match even more Class IV options, particularly for low pH applications to achieve cola-like hues. We are also working on cost optimizations for current items in the Sienna™ portfolio and when considering new sources for clean label browns.

Let us know what natural brown solutions you still need! We’re excited for the future of natural color—stay tuned for our next launch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are natural alternatives to artificial brown food coloring?

Caramel color is a natural alternative to synthetic dye blends for brown food color. For a clean label alternative, consider fruit juice colors like Sensient’s Sienna™.

What is the most stable brown food color?

Caramel color has excellent stability and relative color strength in food and beverages.

What is brown food coloring made of?

Caramel color is made by heating sugars and other carbohydrates until they burn to develop color. Sensient’s clean label brown portfolio Sienna™ is created using fruit juices.

Can I use cocoa powder for brown food color?

While cocoa powder does impart some brown color to products where it is used, there are better solutions for brown colors. Cocoa powder has strong flavor notes which can impact the final taste of the product. Cocoa is also extremely price volatile, introducing unnecessary cost and instability to a procurement team’s bottom line.

What are the best food color combinations for brown?

The best food color combinations for brown will depend on the target shade and end application. Finding color components that each individually perform well under the required stability and processing is important, and the ratio of these ingredients will determine the accuracy of the target shade match.

What is a brown food color that doesn’t alter the flavor?

Sensient’s Sienna™ portfolio is designed to minimize flavor impacts while adding the color desired, from light tans to dark browns.

What are organic brown food colors?

Organic colors require extensive sourcing and validation to the farm level to ensure compliance with certified organic claims. Sensient offers a selection of certified organic natural colors including brown options based on fruit and vegetable juices.

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