Chr. Hansen’s decade-long breeding program has resulted in what the company says is a new and unique sweet potato that is the raw material creating vibrant alternatives to carmine and synthetic reds.

The company has commercialized a new vegetable variety – the Hansen sweet potato Ipomoea batatas – using traditional breeding methods to create a vibrant, natural red alternative to carmine.

“For the first time, we’ve created a whole new variety of vegetable to create the natural color our customers are asking for,” said Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen, vice president, Commercial Development at Chr. Hansen Natural Colors.

“We call it the Hansen sweet potato. Over 10 years ago, we discovered a promising pigment in a root vegetable’s tuber, but the plant’s pigment content was on the low side. We took this plant and embarked on a process of selecive breeding using traditional, non-GMO methods. The result is a plant-based, brilliant red that gives our customers a natural alternative to carmine and synthetic colours,” said Dalmose Rasmussen.

“It all starts with the right raw material. Our plant scientists spent years cultivating and selecting generation after generation of seedlings. We partnered with growers to learn the best ways to plant, nurture and harvest the Hansen sweet potato. And we perfected methods of handling, transportation and extraction. The result is the Hansen sweet potato™ with its unique combination of high yield, brilliant colour and high per-plant pigment load,” said Luc Ganivet, vice president, Innovation and Application at Chr. Hansen Natural Colors.

The Hansen sweet potato is the basis for Chr. Hansen’s recently launched FruitMax line of bright-red solutions that the company claims solve some of the biggest challenges of previously available natural red colours.

“Strawberry red is a popular shade for food products – from cakes to confectionary to milkshakes. But until now it has been nearly impossible to make a fire-engine red colour with no risk of off-taste without using carmine. And as consumers move towards vegetarian and vegan food choices, the need for a carmine alternative has become more pressing. Our new FruitMax red juice concentrates are 100% plant based and provide a new solution to our customers looking to respond to this consumer trend,” said Rasmussen.