Food and beverage manufacturers will be able to see the difference natural colors make for themselves in a wide variety of applications in the Beverage, Candies & Confections, Snacks & Bakery Goods, Meat Alternatives, and Nutraceutical categories. Colors are available in liquid, concentrate, and California Natural Color’s proprietary crystal color technology.

Common technical challenges that arise when formulating with natural colors in bakery applications include color degradation during processing, color bleeding, and color fading over the product’s shelf life. “When selecting natural colors for bakery items with longer shelf lives, developers must consider various factors to maintain product quality,” explains Nidhi Jaiswal, MS, a food scientist specializing in human nutrition.

When it comes to formulating sweet and salty snacks, a huge challenge is that of matching the vibrancy, versatility, and stability of synthetic food colorants. “The sensitivity of natural compounds to various stressors within the system causes them to be difficult to depend on and use effectively,” explains Ryan Erwin, food chemist and Innovation Manager for Fresca Foods, Inc.