What are the natural blue pigments？

Although blue is relatively scarce in the plant world, it still cannot resist the preference of food and beverage for blue, especially when it comes to summer, many drinks will meet the new blue products. In addition, from the consumer side, blue food and drinks are becoming more and more popular among young consumers overseas, and many hot food trends on Instagram are related to "blue".

Compared with synthetic blue pigment, natural blue pigment on the market is still relatively small, mainly the following types:

Huito, also known as Genipa Americana, is a native tree that grows in Colombia and many other South American countries. Ecoflora extracts a unique natural blue pigment from the fruit of this tree, and this production extraction technology and process has been applied for protection.

It is reported that when the juice of the Huito fruit is extracted, it is still clear. But when it comes into contact with amino acids, peptides, proteins and other compounds, the Genipin compound in the juice turns blue. The natural blue pigment from the Huito fruit can replace the synthetic blue pigment, and can also be used as the base color to mix with other pigments to form new tones, such as green, purple, brown, etc.

Butterfly pea flower extract: In 2019, the US FDA officially approved the status of butterfly bean flower water extract as a natural blue pigment additive. Butterfly bean flower is A traditional ingredient in Southeast Asia and is rich in vitamins A, C and E. The extract is a dark blue liquid made from the water extract of dried butterfly bean flowers, which is then treated with ultrafiltration to remove the residue of the plant product, and then concentrated and pasteurized. This natural blue pigment is relatively stable to light, heat and pH, and the application range is also relatively light, including beverages, dairy products, candy, chewing gum and so on.

Gardenia blue extract: The extraction and stabilization principle of gardenia blue pigment is similar to the production principle of Huito fruit, and it is also a safe and stable food color, especially for acid-resistant foods and beverages. Compared with butterfly bean flower extract, gardenia blue has lower production cost and wider application range, but the disadvantage is that there is no phycocyanin color system.

Gardenia blue is a natural blue pigment approved by our country, which can be applied to frozen printed products, jam, candy, baked goods, protein drinks, solid drinks, etc. The specific application scope and use amount should be implemented according to GB2760-2014. At present, Zhongda Biology has developed several series of gardenia blue, which can meet the application of different blue series.

Phycocyanin: The US FDA approved phycocyanin as a natural pigment additive in 2013, which is relatively close to Blue 1 hue. Phycocyanin is a natural pigment extracted from spirulina and processed, that is, a natural pigment and a protein, with a complete range of amino acids, accounting for 37.2% of the total. Therefore, phycocyanin has also been developed into various dietary supplement products in overseas markets.