Sustainable consumption is today’s trend and consumers are looking for more natural options, free from dyes and other artificial additives. Natural dyes are a great and valuable option to the challenge of a growing demand of clean labels solutions.
Natural dyes are obtained from food and other natural materials either by physical or chemical extraction resulting in a selection of pigments. Most natural colorants are vegetable dyes from plants (roots, berries, barks, leaves and wood), and other organic sources such as fungi and lichens.
Natural dyes are generally considered innocuous and consequently they are subject to less specific restrictions in their use than in case the artificial colorants. Therefore, they are in high demand in applications where artificial colorants are not allowed, i.e. the meat industry, where natural dyes are used.
Nowadays, quite stable natural colors are achieved; you can choose the most appropriate dye depending on the product it will be applied to and taking into account different variables such as whether the base is greasy, water, alcohol, glycerin, pH type of the product to which the dye will be applied, since depending on it, the color may vary.
Currently, there are several natural dyes options on the market that do not represent any inconvenience for consumers and otherwise allow to highlight the benefits of food and beverages.
At IMBAREX we are leaders in the production of natural dyes:
Carmine: this is the most important dye in the food industry for its excellent stability to light and temperature. It is obtained via aqueous extraction of cochineal. The flexibility of this product allows to obtain different specialties that provide a wide range of colors from pink to violet.
Annatto: Extracted from annatto seeds, it is one of the most demanded natural colors in the world. Its color ranges from yellow to orange.
Chlorophyll: This dye is extracted from different plants such as alfalfa, grass or spinach. Copper incorporation into the chlorophyll molecule results in a water-soluble green color and stable to light, heat and pH.
Curcumin: Turmeric root is used for extracting this dye that gives different shades of yellow depending on the application and dosage.
Anthocyanin: This natural pigment is in plant cells giving color to fruits and leaves. We extract the anthocyanin from the Flower of Jamaica (Hibiscus). It gives a red color.
Paprika: This product has its origin in sweet Paprika (Capsicum annum). The carotenoids contained in this pigment give an orange-red color.
For more information about these and other colorants please contact us at the following link.
