About Natural Red Food Colors
In today’s market, consumers are enticed by clean ingredient lines and eye-catching colors. The bright red of pizza-flavored seasoning on a chip cues an exciting sensory experience, while the cheerful pink of berry-flavored kefir hints at a fresh fruity flavor profile. To deliver these vibrant shades, product developers can choose from a variety of plant-based natural reds, which are also good for the body and provide a healthier alternative to synthetic food colorings.
There are a wide variety of natural options for coloring foods in red shades, including water-soluble pigments such as lycopene and anthocyanins from berries and other botanical sources. These reds are ideal for beverages and low-acid snacks, where they can withstand heat processing and translucent final packaging. They can also be used in complex food matrices, such as plant-based meat analogs, to achieve the appetizing, eye-catching color of cooked red meat.
Water-soluble reds are often combined with other colorants, such as a natural brown colorant from apple extract, to produce desirable hues in plant-based meat products. Natural red colorants can also be combined with other colors, such as greens and blues, to create a palette of colors that mimic the look and feel of natural ingredients.
Another common natural option for color is beet juice or powder. Beet powder is particularly suitable for baking, where it can be mixed with other colorants to produce a variety of hues. In addition, beet powder is less likely to cause allergic reactions than synthetic red dyes, and it is a good choice for people with sensitive skin. Other natural sources of red include pure pomegranate juice, boiled cranberries and dried hibiscus flowers.Natural Red Food Colors