TARRYTOWN, N.Y. —GNT USA, Inc., announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Color Additive Petition (CAP) 2C0297, allowing for expanded use of Spirulina extract as a natural blue coloring ingredient in food and beverage applications.

The original regulation (21 CFR 73.530) limited the use of Spirulina extract to candy and chewing gum; the amended regulation now allows for the safe use of Spirulina extract in frostings, ice cream and frozen desserts, dessert coatings and toppings, beverage mixes and powders, yogurts, custards, puddings, cottage cheese, gelatin, breadcrumbs and ready-to-eat cereals (excluding extruded cereals). The company’s Spirulina-based color solutions have been approved for used in European food and beverage products for years.

“Many perceive Spirulina as a new coloring product. However, because GNT was early to develop this product over 20 years ago, we not only have the required processing technology and production capacity to deliver our high-quality products across the globe, we also have vast technical expertise to make Spirulina work in a great number of applications," said GNT CEO Stefan Hake.