2 minute read
Innovative natural colours that shine
Nobody likes to eat and share pictures of food and beverages that are dull, boring and by inference, tasteless.
Unhealthy foodstuffs containing high levels of sugar, fat and artificial ingredients are falling out of favour and the craze towards healthy eating shows no sign of slowing down. Research company, Mintel predicts the use of natural colours will continue to grow globally.
In answer to these trends, Roha has been developing food ingredients for almost 40 years to meet the demand for bright, vibrant and healthy natural colours. The company is present in 22 countries. Its most recent acquisition took place in Mexico and a new
manufacturing site was built in Vietnam in 2019. In South Africa, Roha provides a local presence with a global reach.
‘Earlier this year, Roha received the Power Brands Rising Star of the Year Award for innovation in new product development,’ says Carlos Reis, managing director of Roha South Africa. With fully fitted applications laboratories in St Louis, the US; Valencia in Spain and Mumbai, India, Roha can carry out a range of customer-specific application testing from ice cream and yoghurt to beverages and prepared food.
‘Our PhD and master-trained application specialists are on hand to provide one-on-one technical expertise whether remotely, on-site with Roha at their facilities or a customer’s manufacturing site. Our local presence in Johannesburg means we can easily visit you to discuss your colour needs. Our portfolio is completely customisable and we excel in a quick turnaround for matching type projects,’ Reis elaborates.
A key benefit of Roha is that there is no limit to the colours on offer as the portfolio includes all raw material possibilities, whether synthetic or natural.
The range of natural colours is formulated to meet current trends across the food industry. Roha’s key brands are Natracol, Futurals and Futurals Pro. Although these products fall under the “natural” banner, there are some key differences to note, depending on labelling requirements.
Natracol contains the most popular natural colour raw materials and provides stable solutions based on beta carotene, paprika, curcumin, carmine, red beet and more. These products were developed to be stable to heat, light and pH fluctuations and can be produced in powder or liquid forms and varying solubilities depending on the requirement. A key innovation is Roha's Natracol Cerise. This heat-stable carmine replacement option is based on red beet. Natracol Cerise is vegan and vegetarian compliant and can be used across all applications, including baked goods for popular products like a Red Velvet cake. Natural red colouring has been problematic in the past, but this ingredient has revolutionised this category.
‘We continue to see the trend towards clean labels evolve globally. Roha recently launched the Futurals and Futurals Pro range of Colouring Foods - a clean label range of natural food colours that comply with the EU Guidelines on colouring foodstuffs,’ Reis enthuses.
