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    Colors/Flavors

    Vibrant, plant-based dairy food colorings are the on-trend choice for the modern consumer

    Made from consumer-friendly ingredients, they can deliver show-stopping shades from across the rainbow to brighten dairy products.

    By Jeannette O'Brien
    plant-based colors
    September 10, 2021

    Today’s consumers are more committed than ever before to their health and wellbeing. They seek out dairy products with clean and clear labels that include ingredients that are on-trend, recognizable and GMO-free as well as ticking dietary requirements such as being kosher and halal.

    As such, there has never been a better time for dairy manufacturers to opt for plant-based colors. Made from consumer-friendly ingredients, they can deliver showstopping shades from across the rainbow to brighten dairy products and give shoppers something to feel excited about.

    Plant-based colors are created from edible fruit, vegetables and plants. For vibrant orange shades, there are carrot and paprika; for festive pink shades, there are sweet potatoes; and for radiant yellows, there is pumpkin. Turmeric can also enliven dairy with brilliant yellow hues, while dazzling purple shades are derived from purple carrots and berries. Stimulating greens and cool blues are derived from spirulina, and for warmer red shades, there are black carrots and beets.

    Ideally, the vegetable, fruit or plant will be processed with uncomplicated methods that the consumer would use in their own home kitchen, including chopping, filtering, boiling and pressing. Employing a physical manufacturing process that includes nothing but water and is free from chemical solvents results in vivid colors with “clean and clear” label opportunities that appeal to the contemporary consumer.

    Another way to tap into today’s dairy trends is to work with ingredients that are produced using a vertical integration system to safeguard the way an ingredient is planted, grown, harvested and processed. In addition, selecting a food coloring company that is committed to establishing long-term relationships with its growers ensures for the manufacturer stability of pricing and supply and results in traceable ingredients grown and processed transparently.

    For dairy manufacturers, it might feel like an insurmountable task to introduce consumer-friendly colors while still meeting production and storage requirements. Dairy products such as yogurt, ice cream, frozen desserts and novelties present a wide range of coloring challenges. These include color migration; storage demands such as ultraviolet light or high temperatures; the need to maintain stability throughout the supply chain; and high fat levels hindering the color’s ability to interact successfully with the product.

    Brands should work with a food coloring company that makes it easy for them to overcome these challenges. It’s important that your color provider is able to provide technical support at all levels and stages of production. A dairy manufacturer should seek out a food coloring partner that provides support and advice on color selection, stability testing, performance and upscaling.

    It’s also critical that there is a regulatory compliance team that will provide quality documentation and guidance on coloring product labeling. Removing the obstacle of meeting a selected market’s regulatory standards by placing this requirement in the hands of a trusted food coloring manufacturer will result in faster time to market and cost savings while avoiding unnecessary surprises.

    In today’s highly competitive dairy market, it’s more important than ever to work with a food coloring company that is deeply respected in the industry and has decades of proven wins because it will ensure the stability and integrity of the color. A dairy product that is visually exciting and packed with on-trend ingredients also means the consumer will help spread the word for the manufacturer in our increasingly visual and highly photographed world. When the consumer discovers that the dynamically colored dairy product includes plant-based colors packed with on-trend ingredients processed in a transparent way, it’s an automatic win for the manufacturer.

    It’s never been a more challenging or thrilling time to be a dairy manufacturer. There are enormous advantages to partnering with a food coloring company that can provide you with consumer-friendly, recognizable ingredients that are as vibrant and exciting as they are stable and clean.

    Today’s consumers are more committed than ever before to their health and wellbeing. They seek out dairy products with clean and clear labels that include ingredients that are on-trend, recognizable and GMO-free as well as ticking dietary requirements such as being kosher and halal.

    As such, there has never been a better time for dairy manufacturers to opt for plant-based colors. Made from consumer-friendly ingredients, they can deliver showstopping shades from across the rainbow to brighten dairy products and give shoppers something to feel excited about.

    Plant-based colors are created from edible fruit, vegetables and plants. For vibrant orange shades, there are carrot and paprika; for festive pink shades, there are sweet potatoes; and for radiant yellows, there is pumpkin. Turmeric can also enliven dairy with brilliant yellow hues, while dazzling purple shades are derived from purple carrots and berries. Stimulating greens and cool blues are derived from spirulina, and for warmer red shades, there are black carrots and beets.

    Ideally, the vegetable, fruit or plant will be processed with uncomplicated methods that the consumer would use in their own home kitchen, including chopping, filtering, boiling and pressing. Employing a physical manufacturing process that includes nothing but water and is free from chemical solvents results in vivid colors with “clean and clear” label opportunities that appeal to the contemporary consumer.

    Another way to tap into today’s dairy trends is to work with ingredients that are produced using a vertical integration system to safeguard the way an ingredient is planted, grown, harvested and processed. In addition, selecting a food coloring company that is committed to establishing long-term relationships with its growers ensures for the manufacturer stability of pricing and supply and results in traceable ingredients grown and processed transparently.

    For dairy manufacturers, it might feel like an insurmountable task to introduce consumer-friendly colors while still meeting production and storage requirements. Dairy products such as yogurt, ice cream, frozen desserts and novelties present a wide range of coloring challenges. These include color migration; storage demands such as ultraviolet light or high temperatures; the need to maintain stability throughout the supply chain; and high fat levels hindering the color’s ability to interact successfully with the product.

    Brands should work with a food coloring company that makes it easy for them to overcome these challenges. It’s important that your color provider is able to provide technical support at all levels and stages of production. A dairy manufacturer should seek out a food coloring partner that provides support and advice on color selection, stability testing, performance and upscaling.

    It’s also critical that there is a regulatory compliance team that will provide quality documentation and guidance on coloring product labeling. Removing the obstacle of meeting a selected market’s regulatory standards by placing this requirement in the hands of a trusted food coloring manufacturer will result in faster time to market and cost savings while avoiding unnecessary surprises.

    In today’s highly competitive dairy market, it’s more important than ever to work with a food coloring company that is deeply respected in the industry and has decades of proven wins because it will ensure the stability and integrity of the color. A dairy product that is visually exciting and packed with on-trend ingredients also means the consumer will help spread the word for the manufacturer in our increasingly visual and highly photographed world. When the consumer discovers that the dynamically colored dairy product includes plant-based colors packed with on-trend ingredients processed in a transparent way, it’s an automatic win for the manufacturer.

    It’s never been a more challenging or thrilling time to be a dairy manufacturer. There are enormous advantages to partnering with a food coloring company that can provide you with consumer-friendly, recognizable ingredients that are as vibrant and exciting as they are stable and clean.

    KEYWORDS: natural colors natural colors for dairy foods and beverages plant-based colors

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    Jeannette O’Brien is a vice president with GNT USA Inc.

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