Aqua makes a splash

In 2020, the company’s range entitled Shades of Aqua are set to dominate the food and beverage industry with vivid blue and green colours. The palette can assist consumers to reconnect with nature, evoking thoughts of the sea and verdant landscapes.

Using blues and greens is not just a great way to create the right visual effect. These colours can influence perceptions of flavour too, heightening the overall sensory appeal of food and drink. Modern consumers want more than just vivid colours. They also want an ingredients list that is clean and simple. 1 Many companies are moving, or have moved away from artificial colourants to clean-label alternatives.

GNT was founded on the straight forward principle of colouring food with food. The company offers more than 400 shades - created from fruit, vegetables and edible plants using only gentle physical methods such as chopping, heating and filtering.

To allow manufacturers to create products that tap into the Shades of Aqua trend while maintaining clean-label appeal, the company has enhanced its range of spirulina-based concentrates, including the launch of high-intensity blue powders. The ingredient is a nutrient-rich, highly sustainable form of microalgae that contains phycocyanin, a naturally occurring blue colouring component.

Spirulina is widely recognised because of its use in dietary supplements and because of phycocyanin. It’s a good replacement for artificial colourants, including brilliant-and patent blue and other additives such as copper chlorophyllin. To produce green shades, the spirulina concentrate is mixed with a yellow plant pigment, such as safflower or pumpkin.

Exberry is available in liquid and powdered form and is water-soluble and fat dispersible. It can be used across all food and beverage categories, including confectionery, dairy, bakery and savoury applications.

Using colouring food requires technical knowledge, since the interactions between time, temperature and light that determine colour stability are complex. It’s important to work with a partner that can help you find the right option for your product.

With the spirulina-based Colouring Foods range, heat exposure should be minimised as much as possible to ensure maximum colour retention. Temperatures of more than 80°C cause denaturation of the protein to which the phycocyanin is bound and may result in some colour loss or a shift in the shade. An alternative solution is to slightly increase the Exberry dosage.