Replacing Synthetic Blue and Green
The Food and Beverage Market is Going Natural
For years, consumer interest in natural products has been rising.
Headlines like the FDA’s removal of FD&C Red 3 as an approved color additive, West Virginia’s ban of all synthetic colors in food and beverages by 2028, and bans of synthetic colors in schools by states including California, Utah, and Virginia have added fuel to the fire. Brands and manufacturers are now preparing more seriously than ever to convert to natural colors.
Cool colors like blue and green hues have typically been among the most challenging to achieve with natural colors.
To close the gaps between synthetics and the natural rainbow, Sensient’s R&D team has pursued novel color sources and created new technologies to stabilize and optimize natural blue and green solutions for food and beverage.
Let’s explore natural blue and green color options currently on the market to replace FD&C Blue 1, FD&C Blue 2, and FD&C Green 3:
Spirulina
Spirulina is one of the most common natural blue colors on the market today. It’s an excellent shade match for FD&C Blue 1 in many applications. However, stability can pose a challenge in products with heat, acid, or water exposure.
Ideal for use in:
- Powder Beverage Mixes
- Some Sprinkles
- Water-Based Icings
Blue Microfine™
For applications where oil solubility is needed or a synthetic lake might traditionally have been used, Blue Microfine™ with spirulina is an excellent solution. Sensient’s Microfine™ technology uses particle size control to provide clean label plating-grade performance and solubility in oil- or fat-based products.
Ideal for use in:
- Compound Coatings
- Powder Beverage Mixes
- Topical Seasonings
- Dry Good Mixes
- Frozen Novelties
- Frostings and Icings
- Some Confectionery Applications
Spirulina Dispersions
Many manufacturers prefer liquid formats over powder for simpler incorporation into manufacturing processes, and Sensient’s advanced spirulina dispersions are a great solution for those situations.
Ideal for use in:
- Ice Cream
- Frozen Novelties
- Yogurt & Other Dairy Applications
- Some Confectionery Applications
Marine Blue™
In response to the need for bright blue and green hues in applications where spirulina is typically less stable than desired, Sensient’s R&D team developed Marine Blue™, a line of stabilized spirulina solutions. The first iteration of this technology added pH stability in acidic conditions to avoid color degradation and specking.
Ideal for use in:
- Hard Boiled Candies
- Some Gummy Confections
Marine Blue™ Azure
After initial success, further development introduced Marine Blue™ Azure, which added heat stability in acidic environments to avoid precipitation and fading while maintaining bright blues, greens, and purples
Ideal for use in:
- Gummy Confections
- Hard Boiled Candies
- Panned Confections
- Gems for Baking
- Gelatin
Marine Blue™ Capri
The latest extension of Sensient’s stabilized spirulina portfolio is Marine Blue™ Capri. This new blue solution offers a stronger FD&C Blue 1 natural replacement in acidic and high-water applications than ever before.
Ideal for use in:
- Ready-to-Drink Beverages
- Sports Drinks
- Energy Drinks
- Flavored and Functional Waters
- Juices
- Low ABV Alcohol
- Coffee Creamers
- Salad Dressings
Butterfly Pea Flower Extract
As a novel color source, butterfly pea flower extract has generated a lot of interest since its initial FDA approval in 2021. Its unique heat, light, and acid stability and hue range make it a popular choice for blues and purples across applications. Butterfly pea flower extract is a deep denim blue in applications where the pH is above 4.0 and steadily moves toward clear, bright purples as the pH drops.
Ideal for use in:
- Beverages and Syrups
- Alcohol
- Baked Goods
- Confections
- Snacks
- Dairy
- Plant-Based
- Pet Food and Treats
pH Adjusted Anthocyanins
While anthocyanins are typically known for their stability and high performance in low pH environments, the right color processing can enable pH adjustment of select anthocyanins to create blue and purple hues in certain applications.
Ideal for use in:
- Confections
- Some Baked Goods
- Some Snacks
Huito
Huito, also commonly known as jagua blue, is a natural blue color created by a heated chemical reaction between the colorless juice of the unripe jagua fruit with certain amino acids. It is FDA approved for use in a variety of applications and provides a dull blue shade. Developers may see stability challenges in the presence of heat, acid, or water.
Gardenia
Gardenia blue is a naturally occurring blue color used in some regions around the world for food and beverages but not yet approved for use in the United States. It is most commonly used in baked goods and confections in countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Green Blends
Once a stable blue natural color solution is available, color experts can blend with natural yellow solutions like turmeric, annatto, or beta carotene to create a wide range of green hues. Sensient’s advanced blending capabilities ensure that blended green colors can be seamlessly incorporated into manufacturing processes and finished goods.
Copper Chlorophyllin
Although the FDA has only approved it for use in a short list of applications, copper chlorophyllin can be used in certain products to achieve a natural green color. Currently, the only food or beverage applications where copper chlorophyllin can be used are citrus-based dry beverage mixes and toothpastes for drug or cosmetic purposes.
Vertafine™
As the human food and beverage market shifts toward naturalness, the pet industry is making similar moves. In response to demands from pet manufacturers, Sensient’s R&D team developed Vertafine™, an extrusion-stable natural green color designed for pet products like dental chews.
Ideal for use in:
- Extruded Pet Kibble
- Extruded Pet Treats
- Extruded Pet Dental Chews
Looking Ahead for Blue and Green
If the market makes a major shift quickly toward natural colors today, there will be serious challenges to supply the total volume needed to replace synthetic colors. Our analysts project that it will take up to six years to build the supply chain up to full capacity for some colors, both in terms of agricultural volume and production and processing capacity globally.
