Natural solutions for vibrant color shades

TO MAKE their products future-proof and in line with their customers’ demands, food and beverage manufacturers all over the world are looking for natural alternatives to color their products and therefore rely on Colouring Foods. Obtained exclusively from fruit, vegetables and edible plants, these Colouring Foods are categorized as ingredients. On the packaging, Colouring Foods can simply be labelled as, e.g., “Colouring Food (concentrate of carrot, cherry)”. This makes them perfectly suited for the production of clean-label products. In addition, Colouring Foods are expected to be fully equal to additive colors in terms of variety, stability, shelf life and color brilliance, without having any impact on taste or mouthfeel of the final product.

The GNT Group, leading global provider of Colouring Foods, demonstrates how this challenge can be mastered. By means of a gapless control of the entire value chain – from the selection of the seeds to the delivery of the final formulations – the company is able to guarantee a consistently high quality and year-round availability of its natural color solutions.

Color intensive raw materials from local farmers

For Colouring Foods the selection of the right seeds and the best raw materials are the key to success. Hence, GNT has been working closely with contract farmers for years, which only grow varieties that have been proven in the company’s own test series. This applies for raw materials cultivated locally, within 200 km of GNT’s two production sites in Heinsberg (Germany) and Mierlo (The Netherlands) as well as for goods from other parts of the world. About 80 percent of all processed fruit, vegetables and plants are cultivated in the German-Belgian-Dutch border area. Since some of GNT’s color intensive raw materials do not grow in these latitudes (e.g. Spirulina or Safflower), the other 20 percent are sourced from other regions. Harvesting is done at peak ripeness – when the color of the respective fruit, vegetable and edible plant has developed to its optimum level. The entire process is controlled and monitored on-site by agricultural engineers.

Harvesting is done at peak ripeness – when the color of the respective fruit, vegetable and edible plant has developed to its optimum level. All fresh raw materials are processed in GNT’s own plants within 24 hours of harvest. (Photo: GNT)

During the so called “fresh campaign”, which takes place from August to January, the fields around Mierlo and Heinsberg as well as the GNTproductin plants are abuzz with activity. This is because the fresh materials are processed within 24 hours of harvest. During processing, the employees of the family business, which was founded in 1978, rely on common household methods. For the preparation of the purely natural color concentrates, only physical methods are used. In numerous processing stages, the ingredients are chopped, boiled, pressed and filtered. No chemical solvents are used. Thus, the color intensive concentrates can be consumed in every phase of the production process without any concerns. In order to avoid waste as much as possible and to make optimal use out of the employed foods, 95 percent of the residues are utilized for livestock feed or in biogas plants afterwards.

All colors of the rainbow without chemicals

In the last stage of production, the concentrates are mixed into formulations that are precisely tailored to the individual needs of customers. More than 400 color shades are provided in the current range of Colouring Foods, which the company sells all over the world under the brand name EXBERRY®. No one has a wider selection to choose from.

Moreover, GNT is the only producer in the sector that devotes itself exclusively to the production of Colouring Foods. For the last 35 years, the company has been an advocate for the idea that food should only be colored with other food. Chemicals and colorants are wholly incompatible with the corporate philosophy.

Individually tailored solutions for any application

Before a customized Colouring Food can be created, another essential step is required: the development of the recipe. This is where GNT’s application experts come into play. They assist in the product development process of their clients and, whenever necessary, offer customized solutions.

This individualized support is especially important during the transition process from (artificial) colorants to Colouring Foods. Because even though GNT’s color solutions are simple and uncomplicated to handle, each product has its own challenges. In GNT’s own Application Centers, the Colouring Foods are extensively tested until the desired color shade, intensity and stability have been achieved. For food and beverages, there are numerous factors that influence storage and light stability. These include minerals or vitamins, flavors or the mixing ratio of the individual components, and not least the pH value. A color’s stability will also depend on the packaging, the possible effects of oxidation, and, of course, on the climatic conditions in the country where the end products are being sold. Once all the requisite parameters have been checked, the right Colouring Food for the specific application is selected from the product portfolio, or a customized solution is provided. Essentially, GNT’s Colouring Foods can be used in nearly every product category. The possible applications extend from soft and alcoholic beverages through confectionery to dairy and bakery products.

GNT’s application experts assist in the product development process of their clients and, whenever necessary, offer customized solutions (Photo: GNT)

Future-proof product concepts

Thanks to their comprehensive range of fruit, vegetable and plant concentrates, GNT has established itself as innovation leader in the field of Colouring Foods over the last decades. Against the background of the current consumer demands, revealed in GNT’s survey, Colouring Foods are rapidly becoming the preferred color solution for food and beverages. In Germany, for example, almost 40 percent of all processed food that is colored is using the natural concentrates. Therefore, GNT expects Colouring Foods to become the industry standard within the next few years.

*Victor Foo is Managing Director of GNT Singapore Pte Ltd