Prosweets 2020: Trending plant-based hues and the challenges of carmine replacement

03 Feb 2020 --- Blue and green have been spotlighted as the trending colors for 2020, with the confectionery space using vibrant hues to attract consumer attention. FoodIngredientsFirst speaks with color experts on the floor of Prosweets 2020 in Cologne, Germany, who say that beyond visual appeal, consumers seek natural offerings and clean label products. These demands are driving the space with color companies opting for organic, plant-based dyes. Despite demands for naturality and an effort to move away from carmine – an animal-derived coloring – some industry players say the colorant is hard to replicate and still has a position in the market.

“We are presenting our Shades of Aqua, part of our ‘Love Color’ campaign which we launch each year. GNT wants to provide an idea of which colors are really on-trend for the upcoming months and we came to the conclusion that vivid blue and green shades are really popular. They show the connection with nature and they give a feeling of health and wholesomeness,” says Sabrina Moers, Marketing Communications Coordinator for GNT. 

The color trends coincide with Pantone’s color of the year, Classic Blue, which Moers says was “a happy accident” which proves their prediction is right. 

GNT presented its Shades of Aqua range at ProSweets 2020 in Cologne, Germany. “The most popular products right now for us are blue colors from spirulina and green colors from safflower. There is some very pronounced growth in the use of these colors,” notes Marc van Os, Director at Holland Ingredients.

Different shades of blue, green and yellow are also highlighted as trending by Zaneta Adamczyk, Head of Export, Europe for BART. 

Plant-based and organic colorants
Consumers are interested in the clean label trend for health and well-being reasons, Moers notes. This is boosting the use of natural, plant-based colorings in the food and beverage space.

“We can cater to demands for naturalness and clean label, because our colors are all made from fruit, vegetables and edible plants, without chemical solvents and any other ‘nasties.’ So they are truly natural and labeled as coloring foods concentrates. This way, the consumer can see that they contain no E numbers or terms they can’t identify,” she adds.

GNT offers a certified organic line of colorings as well. “There are more and more manufacturers launching organic products, not only in confectionery but also in dairy and other applications areas. They also need color and they need it to be organic and a natural to fit with current consumer demands,” Moers further explains.

The applications are many for the colors, she says, from dairy and alternative dairy – especially with the rise of the plant-based trend – to bakery, ice creams, confectionery and savory products.

“People are moving from synthetic to natural ingredients and now they have moved on to coloring foods. Clean label a key driver that people have nowadays,” van Os says.

GNT offers a certified organic line of colorings suitable for confectionery but also dairy and other applications areas.“Personally, we shouldn’t use synthetic colors at all. If nature gives us these kinds of colors naturally, why shouldn’t we use them in the food sector? I want to see natural ingredients such as ingredients from red beets and orange carrots in final products, as opposed to synthetic colors,” highlights Adamczyk.

BART is focused on using natural sources such as hibiscus for pink, spirulina for blue and curcumin for yellow. Recently the company developed a low-temperature extraction process for its hibiscus coloring which allows for a deep pink color with the added nutritional benefits of hibiscus. “Organic certified is our expertise. We aim to develop our products without any carriers so that they fit the clean label profile,” she notes.

However, further consumer education is needed on synthetic and natural colorings, according to van Os. “Synthetic is still being used. Consumers are not educated on E numbers unless they are looking for allergens. There are natural E numbers and synthetic ones. If you are not a professional then you cannot tell the difference,” van Os states.

Red coloring or red flag?
Despite the innovative approach that most color companies take on achieving vibrant colors from natural sources, certain hues such as vibrant red are still difficult to achieve. Carmine has been the go-to coloring for red, but since it is animal-derived and has an E number, the industry is seeking viable alternatives.

Beyond visual appeal, consumers seek natural offerings and clean label products. “It is very difficult to replace carmine. People are trying to find an ingredient to replace it but the alternative options, such as beetroot and black carrot are still not as vibrant as carmine, which offers that ‘Ferrari Red.’ A combination of colors from radish, beetroot and red carrot may work, but a single ingredient to replace carmine is not available yet,” van Os further explains.

A manufacturer can name the color or write its E number on the pack. This depends on the manufacturer’s preference. For example, a product can either say E120 or carmine on the label. This, according to van Os, causes consumer confusion. “It is legal to use both terms of course, and carmine is a much-requested color. We actually started the company with carmine sourced from Peru, but it is under significant pressure because it is derived from animals,” he says.

Major color players can provide all kinds of options in this space, but the small players, even though they make up a big part of the market, they have less power in this, according to van Os.

“The plant-based trend is continuing to flourish. We see requests for plant-based applications and since the colors are all derived from fruits and vegetables, and they really fit this profile. So we need alternative colors to carmine, for example, and the industry is in need of a solution for that. With our line of colors, the industry can find it,” Moers concludes. 

By Kristiana Lalou, reporting from ProSweets 2020 in Cologne