Clean label colors are key to differentiation in the increasingly competitive plant-based market, according to GNT Group, makers of natural vegetable-based “Coloring Foods,” branded as Exberry. The Netherlands-based manufacturer supplier has launched new resources on its website to highlight the importance of color in vegan-friendly meat, dairy, cheese and fish alternatives.

“We are heading toward ‘plant-based 2.0,’ with manufacturers reformulating their products to meet modern consumer expectations. As such, using plant-based colors for plant-based products has never been more important. Exberry Coloring Foods offer a future-proof solution, helping to deliver an ideal appearance while maintaining clean and clear labels,” Maike Frerichs, leading GNT’s plant-based category team, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“The shades requested for meat and fish alternatives will vary depending on the application. For example, tuna sashimi might feature a red/purple coloring, lunchmeat may require pink, and beefburgers might be brown,” she adds.

Exberry Coloring Foods are available in all the colors of the rainbow, so manufacturers can find the exact shade they require for their application. “Because our Coloring Foods are made from highly recognizable, plant-based ingredients, they provide instant reassurance to consumers. For example, our Exberry Shade Veggie Red might be described on the label as: “Coloring Food (concentrate from radish and carrot),” notes Frerichs.

“There can be certain challenges in using clean-label colors, which is why it’s vital to work with a Coloring Foods supplier that has the knowledge and experience to find solutions,” she further remarks. “For example, the combination of high pH and heat treatment can create challenges when formulating with clean-label reds. Sometimes we even get requests for colors that transform as they’re cooked – beef alternatives, for example, might need to change from red to brown. GNT has a dedicated pilot plant that allows us to experiment with different solutions so that we can ensure Exberrydelivers the ideal visual effect.”

Different applications create different considerations, notes Frerichs. “One consideration, for example, is that colors that contain carotenoids can shift from orange to a yellow hue in the presence of fat, heat and shear.”

As long as all the relevant technical aspects are taken into consideration, Coloring Foods can provide highly effective solutions for almost any plant-based application, including alternatives to meat, fish, cheese and dairy drinks.

Driving up industry’s appetite for natural colors, plant-based innovation in food and beverages continues to flourish as a result of consumer interest in health, sustainability and ethics, which ties into the broader consumer lifestyle trend towards cleaner living. Notably, “The Plant-based Revolution” has been pegged by Innova Market Insights as the second Top Trend for 2020 expected to steer NPD.

Innova Market Insights research also indicates that the top color for food and beverage launches featuring colorings in both North America and Europe were red and brown. Meanwhile, the fastest growing options over the 2014 to 2018 period were red and yellow in North America, and orange and purple in Europe.

As of last year, GNT noted that annual global sales of plant-based meat substitutes had grown by an average of 8 percent annually since 2010. The plant-based beverage market, meanwhile, grew approximately 33 percent each year between 2014 and 2019.

Plant-based vibrancy
Artificial food colorings remain under heavy scrutiny by label-conscious consumers, which further propels brands such as GNT’s Exberry range of natural Coloring Foods into the spotlight. Comprising minimally processed food grade pigments sourced from freshly harvested crops, Exberry responds to the coloring needs of broad food and beverage applications.

Exberry is marketed as offering the widest range of Coloring Foods on the market, helping to ensure that plant-based meat, dairy, cheese and seafood alternatives deliver the visual impact desired. In addition, the natural pigments are made from fruit, vegetables and edible plants and without any chemical solvents, ensuring they are 100 percent vegan-friendly and support clean and clear labeling.

Last month, GNT launched two new Exberry Coloring Foods that deliver bright orange shades in powder and oil-dispersible formats. Made from paprika and carrot, the Brilliant Orange products provide solutions for a range of applications, including bakery icing. The new colors also come in a liquid format that allows formulators a wider range of applications. “Alongside the existing Brilliant Orange liquid, it enables manufacturers to use a color made from paprika and carrot for a vast range of applications such as plant-based cheese,” says Frerichs.

Staying on-trend, the launch comes as the summer months are on the horizon which inspires associations to warmer and sunnier days. Exberry Brilliant Orange shades are also noted for bringing “Instagrammable” color to a vast range of applications while supporting clean and clear labeling.

Echoing Pantone’s move to list “Classic Blue” as its color of the year for 2020, “Shades of Aqua” will be a key food and beverage color trend for 2020, according to GNT. Vivid blue and green hues in food are set to drive innovation as consumers seek products that “reconnect them with nature,” the supplier forecasts.