The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering the future of red dye as a colour additive in foods. The FDA is actively reviewing a petition filed for FD&C Red No.3 colour, which details the legal reasoning behind banning the red dye type in foods, including confectionery products.
With artificial colours under increased scrutiny, natural colour development provides a solution. Natural colours, such as fruit or vegetable juice for colour or beta-carotene, are defined as colours derived from plants, animals, minerals or other natural sources. They refer to those pigments that naturally occur in these sources.
Expanding natural colour production
Developers are working on their colour portfolios to ensure they can offer a wide range of natural pigments from natural raw materials. These can then directly replace many of the artificial colours used in confectionery products.
Natural colour confectionery producer Oterra has announced it’s expanding its US production operations. The move will see the company boost its presence in the North American market to meet confectionery consumer demands.
Oterra is growing its natural colour development capabilities to match growing calls and industry moves for less manufac
tured food colouring. The company’s 155,000sq ft (14,400m2) US headquarters adds new manufacturing and logistics facilities to Oterra’s innovation and application laboratories. Oterra also has a further 40,000 sq ft of expansion space for new colour products and partner pilot production lines to meet the US market’s expected growth in natural colour and colouring foodstuff.
While the extent of consumer demands varies, leading natural colour and flavour trends are similar. An increasing interest in health and wellness is now trickling down into products’ sensorial attributes like colours. These sit amid increased regulatory examination of manufactured food dyes' role in confectionery goods.
Natural colour trends in confectionery
“Increasing focus on health and wellness is leading consumers to clean labels and natural ingredients, while regulatory pressure is limiting the artificial colours used in food and beverages,” says a spokesperson for Oterra.
As sweet shoppers increasingly focus on health and wellness via better-for-you products, they can tap into functional confectionery and the nutritional value that re-envisioned formulations can provide. They are also exploring cleaner labels, natural ingredients and sustainable sourcing.
“The expansion in the US is a clear reaction to the shifts in US consumer demand, primarily fuelled by an increasing focus on health and wellness,” says Oterra’s spokesperson. “Consumers are becoming more informed and intentional about the choices they make, seeking products that align with their desire for healthier lifestyles.”
“Additionally, regulatory changes in certain states are expected to further accelerate the demand for products that limit or eliminate the use of artificial dye,” a spokesperson for Oterra says. The current open petition to consider banning red food colouring from sweets sends a signal to formulators to look for alternatives to manufactured food dyes.
The Natural Colors Association (NATCOL) released its US Consumer Food and Beverage Colors Attitudes Study in May 2024, exploring US consumer perceptions of natural food colours. The study also looked at the extent to which they accepted different food colourings and how they influenced consumers’ purchasing decisions.
Appearance was among the top five perceptions for consumers selecting natural colours. However, consumer awareness of specific colours was lower than other food considerations, such as taste, price, protein and sugar content. The study found a significant preference for natural colours, with seven out of 10 consumers saying they accepted natural colours in their foods. In addition, the participants found positive connotations attached to products containing natural contents, perceiving them as ‘healthy’, ‘safe’, ‘good’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘appealing’.
Low awareness exists, however, around colouring in foods, with preservatives and flavours more likely to influence purchasing decisions. Equally, the absence of artificial ingredients is more important in consumers’ purchasing decisions than the presence of natural ingredients.
In the US, colour is labelled as ‘added colour’. As a result, consumers can struggle to know what natural colours are. However, the study found that when explained, consumers find ingredient label claims that detail natural colours present in their products as an encouraging move. Clear ingredient lists and claims can support providing more information and education on natural colours, encouraging the inclusion of natural dyes over artificial ingredients.
Cost of creating natural colours
The comprehensiveness of available natural colour portfolios for confectionery has not been widely known, leading to the question: Are there certain colours that are too hard to make naturally, or is it about how much they cost to produce?
Finding the exact colour match can be challenging depending on pH and other variables. Yet, for natural colour producers specialised in the area, they’re not concerned about landing on solutions. “We are confident of finding a satisfactory solution to most challenges,” says the spokesperson for Oterra.
“We are regularly finding new and better pigments that work in tricky environments,” the spokesperson adds. Oterra’s Jungle Blue, which it states is sustainably sourced from the Jagua fruit, is one example.
The company produced Jungle Blue, stating that it fills a gap for naturally sourced blue colours as some natural blue colours are sensitive to low pH or heat. At the same time, others also have limited regulatory compliance or high costs. By producing one shade of colour, like blue, producers may also be able to achieve other colour shades using natural dyes. With Oterra’s Jungle Blue, the company has made a robust blue while also creating purple and green shades.
Cost is a factor when it comes to producing natural dye development. Yet, as consumers and industry are turning towards natural over artificial in their confectionery colours, it appears it’s seen as a strategic and long-term investment. “Natural colours do cost more, but bring advantages that artificials cannot,” says the spokesperson.
