With consumer demands for cleaner labels propelling plant-based coloring agents into the spotlight, natural pigments maker DDW exhibited its latest organic dyes at the recent  Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) virtual event and food expo, SHIFT20. The US-based color house formulates with fruit and vegetable extracts to appeal to label-conscious consumers who seek recognizable and familiar ingredients on-label.

“Organic colors are important for companies looking to launch organic consumer products. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a product must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients to be called ‘organic.’ If a color is not certified organic, it can still be included as part of that 5 percent but a lot of times, organic product manufacturers don’t have room in their formulations for non-organic ingredients. By formulating with certified organic natural colors, the product developer still has room for other ingredients in their 5 percent allowable non-organic part of their formula,” Megan Jacobs, Marketing Manager at DDW, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Certified organic colors are indeed more expensive than standard, but the degree of difference really depends on the actual product. You may see a higher price difference between organic spirulina and standard spirulina than you would organic caramel and standard caramel, for example.”

Among the company’s launches is Certified Organic Naturbrown Apple, within its line of simple label browns. It is created by cooking organic apple juice concentrate and provides golden to dark red-brown hues with excellent heat and light stability. It is marketed as being ideal for use in bakery, beverage and confectionery applications.

“These colors are expansions to some of our established color lines. Our organic compliant Emulsitech beta-carotene expands our line of easy-to-use natural color emulsions, and the Certified Organic Amaize is an expansion to our line of anthocyanins from purple corn. We also launched certified organic colors that are not in our core brands but work well in blends and fill out the available organic color range. These include Certified Organic Spirulina and Turmeric,” Jacobs elaborates.

Marketing organic colors
Organic is increasingly capturing market appeal in the colorings space. “We try to have an open dialogue with our customers, conduct market research, and pay attention to consumer trends. We then see how we can meet those with the strengths that we have as a manufacturer. The expansion of our organic is a great example of this. We had a lot of customers [at SHIFT20] asking for organic, and the research showed that consumers were purchasing more organic options,” Jacobs explains. 

“So, we took our core brands and developed organic options. They offer the same reliability as the colors our customers know and love, with the added benefit of an organic certification, allowing them to be used in a whole new segment of the food industry.”

Looking ahead of the color sector, Jacob comments: “On one hand, you have consumers who just need to put food on the table, so they won’t be looking at the label and won’t be able to pay a premium for products with special certifications. For products that cater to this need, companies will most likely stay with colors that are functional, low-cost and reliable – like caramel or annatto. 

“On the other hand, there is a consumer segment genuinely concerned with what they put into their bodies. They want to know what an ingredient is and why it is in their food. So, colors with a transparent supply chain are needed. That’s why it is important to offer a variety of colors – to better meet the needs of each customer and their target market,” she elaborates.

Caramel color, paprika oleoresin extract, apple concentrate and carmine were the top natural colors applied in food and beverages launched globally in 2019, according to market research from Innova Market Insights.