The Global Market for Natural Food Colors

When it comes to food coloring, the best natural dyes come directly from plants. The bright red of beet juice or the pink tint you can get from boiling strawberries, for example, is a great way to color foods without adding any extra flavor. But it’s also a pain to extract the exact shade you need for your recipe and can leave your hands stained (not to mention your clothes). That’s why many bakers and cooks opt for a more convenient and concentrated liquid or powdered food coloring.

Often made from plant-based ingredients such as turmeric, saffron, paprika, and marigold flowers, these natural food colors can be used in a variety of ways to create different shades and hues, from soft pastels to vibrant and richly colored icings and desserts. They can be sprinkled on top of cakes, mixed into buttercream, or poured into ice cube trays for airbrush application.

The popularity of these dyes is due to the growing demand for natural, organic, and healthy food products. The shift to clean label ingredients is forcing businesses in the food and beverage industry to rethink their recipes and formulations, making them more suitable for consumers who want healthier options.

Natural food colors are also considered safe to consume since they do not contain any toxic metals and minerals that are found in synthetic colorants. Moreover, these colorings are biodegradable and cause less pollution after disposal. These factors are expected to boost the global natural food colors market.