US – GNT Group, a global provider of coloring foods, has gained approval from the US Foods and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of spirulina extract in beverages, offering manufacturers a way to achieve vibrant blue shades while maintaining a clean label.
The company said it developed a patented formulation technology that allows spirulina extract to remaining temperature- and acid-stabilized in beverages.
The Exberry Blue Beverage Solution is suitable for various applications, including sports, energy, and carbonated drinks, juice drinks, enhanced waters, and alcoholic beverages below 20% ABV.
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) had previously permitted spirulina extract as a natural blue coloring ingredient in certain food products and powdered beverages.
GNT successfully petitioned the FDA to amend the regulation to cover all non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages below 20% ABV.
The update on the new regulation of spirulina extract use will come into effect on December 13, 2022.
This means the Exberry Blue Beverage Solution can be used as a clean label replacement for Blue 1 in most drink applications.
The company noted the extract delivers a bright turquoise blue shade in acidified beverages with a pH range between 2.6 to 3.4.
Moreover, it can be combined with other Exberry food solutions that deliver hues including navy blue, violet, and green.
The FDA’s approval of natural blue colors derived from spirulina extract for products also includes applications such as yogurt, ice cream, and confectionery.
“GNT’s Exberry Blue Beverage Solution at long last offers manufacturers a pathway to bright, stable, regulatory-approved and consumer-friendly natural blue colors,” said Jane MacDonald, technical director at GNT, US.
The approval comes at a time when product launches with flavor ingredients are gaining ground with annual growth of 6% (CAGR, 2017-2021), according to data from Innova Market Insights.
The market research firm underscores that flavor creativity is trending, and flower and herbal flavors are also gaining ground.
Jeannette O’Brien, Vice President at GNT, US, commented that spirulina’s brisk market growth shows no signs of slowing down due to growing consumer awareness of this ingredient’s health halo, which taps into burgeoning wellness trends.
GNT’s spirulina supply chain is vertically integrated, beginning with raw material cultivation to its dedicated product manufacturing facility to ensure commercial scale-up capabilities.
O’Brien noted the Exberry colors are created at the company’s cutting-edge manufacturing facilities using gentle, physical processing methods that align with the transparency shoppers want to see.
Based on the concept of coloring food with food, GNT expanded its EU organic-certified Exberry Coloring Foods range with new yellow and green shades made from organic safflower and spirulina.
The new Shade Bright Green Powder is designed to deliver bright, bluish-green shades in dry and powdered applications such as bakery mixes, confectionery, and seasonings.
The powder is created from edible, plant-based raw materials using only traditional physical processing methods. As a result, GNT said the powder is considered to be a food ingredient rather than an additive in the EU and many other parts of the world.
EXBERRY Shade Bright Green Powder is pH-independent and is approved for use in a majority of countries worldwide.
As turmeric is naturally sensitive to light, GNT noted opaque or non-transparent packaging is recommended for optimal performance.
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