Plant-Based Colorants

A food or beverage's color is both a feast for the eyes and a teaser for the palate, hinting at the flavor that awaits. But, increasingly, consumers are suspicious of artificial color in their foods and are seeking products with a more natural ingredient list.

For food and beverage manufacturers heeding this call, GNT USA offers the Exberry® line of fruit and vegetable colorants. For more than 30 years, the company has overseen production of the colors, beginning with selection of the seed.

"Color in plants serves many purposes, including protection of the plant itself and defense from predators," says Stefan Hake, CEO. "Due to this complexity, from the very beginning GNT has believed that a close relationship with our farmers was one of the most essential steps in producing high quality and innovative natural colorants. We collaborate with our farmers and manage the raw materials from seed to the factory; this is fundamental to our business goals."

The company's farmers cultivate specific time-tested varieties that are harvested only when fully ripe, ensuring that the naturally occurring color is at its peak. From there, the fruits and vegetables are processed with only water, resulting in a full spectrum of colors, from yellow and red to blue and green.

"Fruit and vegetable colors are ingredients that are easy for consumers to recognize and understand on a package," Hake says. "'Fruit and vegetable juice (for color)' on the label is an appealing concept, and one consumers instantly feel good about. In addition, all our natural colors are foods in their own right. Having a spoonful of any Exberry colorant in yogurt, ice cream or cereal would be wholesome, nutritious and taste good. That is also a concept that is easy for manufacturers to communicate to the consumer."

Although colorants such as these are believed to be largely prone to oxidation and unstable to certain heat, light and pH conditions, Hake says a thorough understanding of how to use fruit and vegetable colorants goes a long way to mitigating these challenges. To help manufacturers address processing challenges, GNT offers application support, as well as workshops.

"Our application support involves color-matching and stability testing," Hake says. "Our workshops provide a more in-depth opportunity for our customers to understand how our colors can work in a particular application, or if a company wants to train their product development staff on the fundamentals of fruit and vegetable colorants, we will provide that training. This supports our belief that collaboration and planning produces exceptional long-term results."

The line of colorants is suitable for all types of applications, including dairy, confectionery, bakery and beverages, and is available in both liquid and powder form.

GNT USA, Inc.

660 White Plains Road

Tarrytown, NY 10591

Phone: 914/524-0600

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: gnt-group.com