Clean labels on colored foods
Consumers see food and beverages as tasty, convenient, and healthy, so they expect these products to come with clean and clear labels. Research carried out by FMCG Gurus shows that two-thirds of consumers globally believe 100% natural production makes food and beverages appear more premium and higher quality. In addition, 68% say they check the label at least some of the time when buying food and beverages.
Color influences
In today’s social world, visual appeal is still the key to product success, so the color of the product is crucial. Research has shown that color influences consumers’ perception of taste and plays a key role in consumers’ beverage choices. For example, adding natural blue food coloring to a drink can make it look more
A cool blue: spirulina extract
Blue has always been a rare color in natural pigments, and food scientists have always been searching for natural blue. The discovery of phycocyanin gave food scientists the answer.
Phycocyanin is a rare blue natural pigment found in a few algae such as spirulina. Spirulina is a rare 3.5 billion-year-old algae creature that was eaten by the Aztecs in Mexico in the 1500s and used by NASA as one of the foods astronauts eat in space.
BINMEI’s spirulina extract is extracted by a mild physical method without adding any chemical additives such as ammonium sulfate. After selecting high-quality spirulina from Inner Mongolia Plateau, BINMEI removes impurities and 80% of miscellaneous proteins in spirulina by grinding, centrifugation, filtration, and other materials.
BINMEI’s Spirulina extract is available in powder (Spirulina extract) and liquid (Spirulina liquid extract) forms to suit different application scenarios. Spirulina liquid extract, for example, is perfect for candy.
Application scenarios of spirulina extract
While the discovery of spirulina extracts addresses the scarcity of natural blue on food scientists’ color lists, it still presents new challenges. The natural blue pigment faces a big stability challenge. Because Spirulina extract is a protein-binding pigment, it becomes extremely unstable under conditions such as acids, bases, high temperatures, and light.
With our rich experience and technology in the field of algae, BINMEI has made continuous breakthroughs in the stability of our products. For example, we have successfully solved the stability problem of Spirulina extract in alcoholic beverages, and successfully helped Budweiser and other customers to develop blue alcoholic beverages.
Anthocyanin blue from Southeast Asia: butterfly pea flower extract.
Popular in equatorial and Southeast Asian countries, the butterfly bean flower is a high-quality, protein-rich leguminous plant whose biggest feature is its bright blue petals. Butterfly bean flower as a natural food coloring has a long history. In Southeast Asia, blue desserts, rice and starry drinks made from butterfly and bean flowers have captured the hearts of many young people.
BINMEI’s butterfly bean flower extract has two forms: powder (butterfly bean flower extract) and liquid (butterfly bean flower liquid extract). Butterfly bean flower extract can be mixed with different pH solutions to show different colors, such as purple, sky blue, etc.
Advantages of Butterfly Bean flower extract: pH3-7 stable, 100% water soluble, stable to light, heat and acid.
Neglected red: rose red.
Red has always been a symbol of love, auspiciousness, and romance. In the food industry, red food and drinks can often stimulate the appetite of consumers.
Food scientists have found that red is linked to sweetness, and the addition of red food coloring has been shown to increase the perceived sweetness of drinks by 11 percent. One study found that using red to create a slight tint change in orange juice could significantly increase expectations of product enjoyment. Natural red pigments commonly found in the food industry include beet, carrot, pepper red, etc. But food scientists have long overlooked one red: roses. In China, the cultivation of roses dates back more than 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty.
BINMEI’s rose extract, purchased from Yunnan, China, has a strong and pure fragrance. BINMEI’s rose extract uses a gentle physical extraction method to extract the natural red color while maximizing the retention of the unique fragrance of the rose.
Advantages of BINMEI Rose extract: The temperature of the rose extract is relatively stable under the condition of light and heat, at the same time, under the condition of acid, a small amount of low concentration of sodium chloride, sucrose, citric acid, ascorbic acid, and sodium bisulfite has a stable chromogenic effect on Roselin, rose pigment should try to avoid contact with Fe~ (2+), Cu~ (2+) and strong oxidizing reductants during storage.
Choose BINMEI’s natural colors to unlock the potential of your products
Capitalizing on the adventurous spirit of a new generation of consumers, Hamamei Spirulina Extract tones can open up new flavor opportunities and capture consumer curiosity. Blues, greens, and purples are the ideal way to make a splash on social media. In addition to the blue color of Spirulina extract, BINMEI also offers multi-colored natural pigments and provides comprehensive technical support to manufacturers at all stages of product development.
BINMEI’s natural coloring is a vibrant concentrate that meets the modern consumer’s expectations for a clean label while meeting the growing consumer demand for exciting, compelling food and beverage experiences.
