The most crucial component and primary factor used by buyers to choose any food product is its color, which increases its acceptability and attractiveness. Over time, synthetic colorants have been increasingly replaced by natural food color formulation due to consumer demand and perception.
New FDA-Approved Food Colors Broaden Safe Formulation Choices for Product Developers in Beverage, bakery and confectionery applications
Introduction
The most crucial component and primary factor used by buyers to choose any food product is its color, which increases its acceptability and attractiveness. Over time, synthetic colorants have been increasingly replaced by natural food color formulation due to consumer demand and perception.
While synthetic color optimization has high stability, they are replaced by natural colors for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties from natural sources including plants, microbes, animals and insects. These natural colorants are used from processing to preservation. The evolution of food product development increasingly favors plant-based natural food color additives that align with consumer demand for clean-label ingredients. [1]
Natural food colors for Food and Beverage
Food and beverage natural colors are pigments derived from edible natural sources including fruits, vegetables, spices, algae, and some animal-derived sources. Natural colors are extracted by physical and/or chemical processes to isolate pigments which are responsible for the color in food products without synthetic dye. The below represents the advantages and disadvantages of natural colorants. [2]
Advantages | Disadvantages |
Nontoxic and Skin friendly | Limited color range |
Antioxidant rich, anti-inflammatory properties | Unstable on pH, light and heat |
Nutrient rich and environment sustainable | May mask flavor and aroma of food |
Compatible with diverse food formulation | Limited solubility |
By leveraging colorant compatibility studies and beverage color stability testing, formulators can overcome solubility and stability challenges, ensuring consistent performance in various food matrices.
The table below shows the natural pigments and its chemical properties.
Pigments | Chemical properties | Sources |
Chlorophyll | Fat soluble with green hues, sensitive to pH and light | Spinach, Cyanobacteria, alga |
Carotenoids | Lipophilic, heat stable, provides yellow to orange hue | Tomatoes, carrots, peppers |
Anthocyanin | Lipophilic, changes color from red to blue depending on pH | Blueberries, red cabbage, blackcurrants |
Flavonoids and Tannins | Has crystalline structure that contributes to the sensory attributes of the final product | Herb, tea |
What is meant by FDA approved natural color?
Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Chapter VII, section 721) color additives have been evaluated for safety under the Federal Food, Dru and Cosmetic Act and are recognized for use in foods. Approval involves assessment of dietary exposure, toxicological data and ensuring a “reasonable certainty of no harm” when used as intended.
Natural Colorant | Source | Permitted Uses |
Annatto | Seeds of Bixa orellana | Cheeses, snacks, butter, baked goods |
Beta-Carotene | Carrots, palm oil, algae | Dairy, beverages, baked goods |
Beet Juice (Betanin) | Red beets | Confectioneries, dairy, beverages |
Paprika Extract | Capsicum species | Meat products, snacks, sauces |
Turmeric (Curcumin) | Turmeric root | Mustard, condiments, sauces |
Chlorophyllin | Chlorophyll from green plants | Beverages, candies, dairy |
Caramel Color | Heat-treated carbohydrates | Soft drinks, baked goods, sauces |
Cochineal (Carmine) | Insects (Dactylopius coccus) | Candies, beverages, cosmetics |
Saffron (Crocin) | Stigmas of Crocus sativus | Bakery, desserts, beverages |
Fruit and Vegetable Juices | Various fruits and vegetables | General coloring in foods and drinks |
What is recent addition to natural colorants by FDA and its properties and safety aspects
On May 9, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed off on three new color additive petitions for food colors derived from natural sources. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Chapter VII, Section 721) require FDA to review and determine the safety of color additives before they can be used in foods. The FDA signed off on three color additives because of the ongoing federal initiatives promoting the “Make America Healthy Again” approach to gradually remove synthetic dyes in the U.S. food supply in exchange for safer, natural dyes.
Color additive petitions approved today by FDA include Galdieria extract blue, a blue color made from an alga (Galdieria sulphuraria), Butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used for bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens, and calcium phosphate, a white color.
- Galdieria extract blue has been approved by the FDA as a color additive in non-alcoholic beverages and beverage bases, fruit drinks, fruit smoothies, fruit and vegetable juices, yogurt drinks, smoothies based on milk, milk shakes, flavored milk, milk-based nutritional beverage and meal replacement drinks making it ideal for beverage color stability testing and coatings for breakfast cereals, various candies including hard candy, soft and gum candy, ice cream and dairy-based desserts, frozen fruit, ice or water based frozen desserts, gelatins, puddings and custards, whipped cream, yogurt, liquid creamers or frozen, whipped toppings.
- Butterfly pea flower (21 CFR 73.69) extract is already approved in sports drinks, fruit drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, alcoholic beverages, dairy beverages, ready-to-drink teas, nutritional beverages, gums, candy, coated nuts, ice creams, and yogurt. The petition approved today by the FDA adds and expands this color to include ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels, plain potato chips, plain corn chips, tortilla chips, and multigrain chips.
- Calcium phosphate (21 CFR 182.1217) was approved for RTE chicken products, white candy melts, donut sugar and sugar-coated candies. [3]
Insights on FDA approved natural colorants – Clinical Study
Colour / source | Key Study or Review | Functional / Bioactive Properties | Applications & Findings | Reference |
Galdieria extract (Thermo-acidophilic microalga Galdieria sulphuraria) | Significance and Applications of Thermo-Acidophilic Microalga Galdieria sulphuraria (Comprehensive Review) | • Contains phycocyanin with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities | • Utilized in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals | |
• Exhibits high thermostability compared to other algal pigments | • Bioremediation of heavy-metal-polluted wastewater and recovery of rare-earth elements | |||
• Considered a sustainable bio-colorant for food product innovation | ||||
Butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea) | Development and Acceptability Assessment of Blue Pea Butterfly Drink | • Rich in anthocyanins and vitamin A | • Beverage formulated with blueberry juice + blue pea extract | |
• Exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential | • Sensory panels found product acceptable | |||
• Microbiologically stable up to 7 days | ||||
Calcium phosphate (E 341) | • Functions as white pigment and opacity enhancer | • Widely used in soymilk, nutritional drinks, and bakery coatings | [6] | |
• Acts as nutrient fortifier and stabilizer | • Enhances whiteness and textural uniformity |
Conclusion
For modern manufacturers, adopting FDA-approved natural colorants means balancing vibrancy, stability, and safety. Achieving this balance requires expert formulation strategies, from natural food color formulation to synthetic color optimization and colorant compatibility studies.
At Food Research Lab, we specialize in guiding your food product innovation or regulatory approval journey using safe, effective, and FDA-compliant food color additives.
Let’s bring your product to life with nature’s palette — safely, effectively, and scientifically.
References
- ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Food colorants. Retrieved November 1, 2025, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/food-colorants
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) Chapter VII: General Authority. Retrieved November 1, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-fdc-act/fdc-act-chapter-vii-general-authority
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025, June 10). FDA approves three food colors from natural sources. Retrieved November 1, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-three-food-colors-natural-sources
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2005). Food color additives: A historical perspective and current status. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(11), 1499-1503. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.7867 Retrieved November 1, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11243675/
- International Advanced Research Journal in Science, Engineering and Technology. (2025). Analysis of food colorants: impact and regulations. IARJSET, 12(3), 91-103. Retrieved November 1, 2025, from https://iarjset.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IARJSET.2025.12319.pdf
- NutraIngredients-USA. (2025, June 11). FDA approves three natural food colors. Retrieved November 1, 2025, from https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/breaking-news/fda-approves-three-natural-food-colors/
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