Doehler Proposes Alternatives for Carmine, Caramel Coloring

18 Aug 2014 --- The trend towards naturalness and clean labelling results in an increasing demand for coloring concentrates, whilst, in other cases, an exchange is necessary due to legal modifications and special consumer requirements. In the course of this development, Doehler offers a broad and constantly expanding portfolio of natural color alternatives for various applications.

“The demands of many consumers are still going one step further. Not only does the naturalness of the color play an important role, but so does the source of the extracted natural, coloring substance,” explains Christian Benetka Uher, Head of the Business Unit Colors at the globally active provider of natural ingredients and ingredient systems; Doehler. According to Doehler, some food colors such as those derived from the natural sources e. g. carmine and caramel coloring as well as artificial colors are increasingly replaced in food and beverage applications and even completely avoided in new recipes.

So-called coloring concentrates i. e. products similar to juice which are made from fruits, vegetables or plants allow a stable coloring in the end product and enable a “clean” label. They do not carry any E-numbers and therefore have to be declared purely as an ingredient, as opposed to an additive. As a producer, marketer and provider of natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions, Doehler offers a variety of coloring concentrates with high stability, color brilliance and intensity, which correspond to the current EU classifications.

The colorant carmine (E120) applies to a wide range of food and beverage applications. However, an exchange is often necessary due to significant fluctuations in cost and availability. Furthermore, carmine must not be used in vegetarian, vegan, halal or kosher certified products, as it is obtained from scale insects. Yet it is difficult to replace as it boasts superb technological properties. Doehler recommends that carmine is replaced by anthocyanin-based colors for use in red colored beverages, including those from black carrot, purple sweet potato or grape.

The tomato colorant lycopene, however, is primarily suited for coloring dairy products. This is particularly interesting for ice-cream manufacturers as they are strongly reliant on alternatives because of future legal changes. In August this year, the European Commission will introduce a ban on the use of additives containing aluminium, including carmine, in ice cream and related product categories.

For product concepts without E-numbers, manufacturers can use red color shades from the Red Brilliance range. The coloring concentrates are extracted from the black carrot and are characterised by high stability and brilliance in the end product. The coloring concentrates of the black carrot do not contain any E-numbers and must therefore just be declared as food.

In addition, Doehler offers a range of alternatives for caramel coloring, which is avoided by an increasing number of consumers. Depending on usage, Doehler application specialists recommend coloring concentrates extracted from malt and apple as alternatives. They do not carry E-numbers and must therefore just be declared as food.

In the past, the only way to achieve a ‘warm orange’, ‘sunny yellow’ or ‘soft yellow’ in clear beverages without affecting the taste profile negatively was by using artificial colors. With the natural color range of Crystal Clear Colors 2.0 by Doehler, these color tones can be achieved also in clear beverage applications. This is especially relevant when replacing some azo-colorants. Azo-colorants are subject to criticism due to the suspected adverse affect they can have on a child's activity and attention and consequently they must carry an appropriate warning label. The shining, brilliant color tones of Crystal Clear Colors 2.0 are based on purely natural coloring principles such as paprika extract, beta carotene or lutein and are furthermore characterised by an outstanding stability in the end product throughout the entire shelf life.

Alongside premium resources, application knowledge and having long-term  relationships with suppliers are particularly important factors when it comes to replacing synthetic by natural colors. Doehler has its own production sites across the globe, guaranteeing highest standards and full traceability for all manufacturing steps from cultivation right through to bottling. It is only possible to develop sustainably successful products on the basis of this reliability and application expertise, which meet the current market conditions.