Red-colored processed products are very attractive to consumers, and food companies know this, just look at the only-red bags of gummy candies or all “Red Velvet” products.
According to a survey conducted by Neilsen Global Health and Ingredient Sentiment Survey, consumers try to avoid artificial flavors and colors. This basically tells us that today people are trying to remove synthetic ingredients from their diet, preferring natural additives.
Although this trend focuses more on the preference of natural colorings in food, it turns out that one of the most stable and efficient natural colorings is under increasing scrutiny: Cochineal Carmine
For a long time, Carmine has been a popular choice in Europe to obtain a natural red color, as a very effective alternative to synthetic colors. However, for some time, this natural color was under a more critical view due to a general discontent concerning the source from which the bright red color was obtained. When it comes to natural colors, consumers prefer them to be of botanical origin. The mere fact that Carmine is obtained from Cochineals (insects), was a problem for vegans, an increasing population worldwide.
However, nowadays, carmine is still a widely used natural food coloring. It has a great stability to heat and light, and is more migration-resistant in comparison with other common alternatives. In fact, Carmine as natural coloring is the additive most widely used in food, such as dairy products, meat products, cakes, candies, sweets, etc; and it is preferred due to its great stability and coloring power.
To request a sample and more information, please contact us.
