| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 4.0 pH 7.0 |
orange to red or purple red or purple red or purple |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 3.5 - 9.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
excellent excellent excellent |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | dispersible in water or oil | |
| E Number | E120 | |
Carmine is a pigment of a bright-red colour obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal scale and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for a particularly deep-red colour of the same name. Carmine is used in the manufacture of artificial flowers, paints, crimson ink, rouge, and other cosmetics, and is routinely added to food products such as yogurt and certain brands of juice.
| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 4.0 pH 7.0 pH 9.0 |
orange orange red violet |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0 - 9.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
excellent excellent excellent |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
| Synonyms | C.I. 75470 and C.I. Natural Red 4 | |
Carminic acid is a red glucosidal hydroxyanthrapurin that occurs naturally in some scale insects, such as the cochineal and the Polish cochineal. The insects produce the acid as a deterrent to predators. Carminic acid is the colouring agent in carmine.
| Shade | any pH | orangish-red to purplish red |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 3.5 - 9.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
fair fair poor |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
| E Number | E162 | |
Betanin, or Beetroot Red, is a red glycosidic food dye obtained from beets. Betanin degrades when subjected to light, heat, and oxygen; therefore, it is used in frozen products, products with short shelf life, or products sold in dry state. Betanin can survive pasteurization when in products with high sugar content. The colour of betanin depends on pH; between four and five it is bright bluish-red, becoming blue-violet as the pH increases. Once the pH reaches alkaline levels betanin degrades by hydrolysis, resulting in a yellow-brown colour.
The most common uses of betanin are in colouring ice cream and powdered soft drink beverages; other uses are in some sugar confectionery, e.g. fondants, sugar strands, sugar coatings, and fruit or cream fillings. In hot processed candies, it can be used if added at the final part of the processing. Betanin can be also used in soups as well as tomato and meat & sausages products.
| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 4.0 pH 5.0 pH 7.0 |
peach to strawberry red red magenta grape |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0 - 4.5 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
fair fair poor |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Black carrots are a source for natural food colouring that originate from Turkey and other regions of the Middle East and Asia. The nutrients in black carrot extract that give them their colour are anthocyanins which have several health benefits, such as the potential for treating neurological dysfunctions like Alzheimer’s disease. Anthocyanins from purple carrot are more stable over a wider pH range than anthocyanins from other fruit or vegetable sources, making them ideal for use in yogurts, beverages, fruit bases and confectionary.
| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 4.0 pH 5.0 pH 7.0 |
peach to strawberry red red magenta grape |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0 - 4.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
good good very good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
The flowers of elderberry (Sambucus nigra) are used to produce elderflower cordial. The French, Austrians and Central Europeans produce elderflower syrup, commonly made from an extract of elderflower blossoms, which is added to pancake (Palatschinken) mixes instead of blueberries. People throughout much of Central, Eastern, and South-eastern Europe use a similar method to make a syrup which is diluted with water and used as a drink. The Italian liqueur Sambuca is flavoured with oil obtained from the elderflower.In Germany, yoghurt desserts are made with both the berries and the flowers.
| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 4.0 |
pink to red purple |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0 - 4.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
good good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Grape juice is obtained from crushing and blending grapes into a liquid. The juice is often sold in stores or fermented and made into wine, brandy or vinegar. In the wine industry, grape juice that contains 7–23 percent of pulp, skins, stems and seeds is often referred to as "must". In North America, the most common grape juice is purple and made from Concord grapes while white grape juice is commonly made from Niagara grapes, both of which are varieties of native American grapes, a different species from European wine grapes. In California, Sultana (known there as Thompson Seedless) grapes are sometimes diverted from the raisin or table market to produce white juice.
| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 4.0 pH 7.0 |
pink to raspberry red grape blue |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0 - 4.5 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
very good very good very good |
| Forms | liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Purple Sweet Potato is a source for natural food colouring that offers a raspberry pink/red/violet shade depending on the pH of the product it is being used for. The anthocyanins, which give the purple sweet potato its colour, have excellent light and heat stability making it suitable for use in beverages, fruit bases, baking, and confectionary.Purple Sweet Potato extract is water soluble.
| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 4.0 pH 7.0 |
pink to raspberry red grape blue |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0 - 4.5 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
very good very good very good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
The red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is a sort of cabbage, also known as red kraut or blue kraut after preparation. Its leaves are coloured dark red/purple. However, the plant changes its colour according to the pH value of the soil, due to a pigment belonging to anthocyanins(flavins). On acidic soils, the leaves grow more reddish while an alkaline soil will produce rather greenish-yellow coloured cabbages. This explains the fact that the same plant is known by different colours in various regions.
| Shade |
pH 3.0 pH 5.0 pH 7.0 |
tropical red / fruit punch fuchsia red grape |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0–6.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
excellent excellent excellent |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Red radish is a source for natural food colouring that offers a yellowish red depending on the pH of the product it is being used for.The anthocyanins, which give the purple sweet potato its colour, have excellent light and heat stability making it suitable for use in beverages, fruit bases, baking, and confectionary.Red radish extract is water soluble and is suitable for use within the pH range of 2.0-6.0.
| Shade | any pH | Yellow to orange |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
very good good fair |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Annatto is derived from the seeds of the achiote trees of tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The seeds are sourced to produce a carotenoid-based yellow to orange food colouring and flavour. Annatto colouring is extracted from the reddish pericarp which surrounds the seed of the achiote. It has been used as colouring in many cheeses, dairy spreads,and also be used to colour a number of non-dairy foods such as rice, custard powder, baked goods, seasonings, processed potatoes, snack foods, breakfast cereals and smoked fish.
| Shade | any pH | Yellow to orange |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
good good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water or oil | |
β-Carotene is a strongly-coloured red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. It is an organic compound and chemically is classified as a hydrocarbon and specifically as a terpenoid (isoprenoid). Carotene is the substance in carrots that colours them orange and is the most common form of carotene in plants. Isolation of β-carotene from fruits abundant in carotenoids is commonly done using column chromatography.Absorption of β-carotene is enhanced if eaten with fats, as carotenes are fat soluble.
| Shade | any pH | vanilla to yellowish orange |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
good fairly good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water or oil | |
| Synonyms | C.I. 75470 and C.I. Natural Red 4 | |
Carrot seed oil is the essential oil extract of the seed from the carrot plant Daucus carota. The oil has a woody, earthy sweet smell and is yellow or amber-coloured to pale orange-brown in appearance. The pharmacologically active constituents of carrot seed extract are three flavones: luteolin, luteolin 3'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and luteolin 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside. Rather than the extract the distilled (ethereal) oil is used in perfumery and food aromatization. The main constituent of this oil is carotol.
| Shade | any pH | Yellow |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
very good good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
| E number | E100 | |
Curcumin is brightly yellow coloured and may be used as a food colouring. Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid of the popular Indian spice turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The curcuminoids are natural phenols that are responsible for the yellow colour of turmeric. Curcumin can exist in several tautomeric forms, including a 1,3-diketo form and two equivalent enol forms. The enol form is more energetically stable in the solid phase and in solution.
| Shade | any pH | Yellow to orange |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
very good very good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Gardenia jasminoides is a shrub with greyish bark and dark green shiny evergreen leaves with prominent veins. The white flowers bloom in spring and summer and are highly fragrant. They are followed by small oval fruit which is used as a yellow dye for food colouring.
| Shade | any pH | pale yellow to reddish orange |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
good good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water or oil | |
Paprika oleoresin (also known as paprika extract) is an oil soluble extract from the fruits of Capsicum Annum Linn or Capsicum Frutescens (Indian red chillies) and is primarily used as a colouring and/or flavouring in food products. It is composed of capsaicin, the main flavouring compound giving pungency in higher concentrations, and capsanthin and capsorubin, the main colouring compounds (among other carotenoids).
| Shade | any pH | Yellow to orange |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
excellent excellent good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Each saffron crocus grows to 20–30 cm (8–12 in) and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel.Together with the styles, or stalks that connect the stigmas to their host plant, the dried stigmas are used mainly in various cuisines as a seasoning and colouring agent. Saffron, long among the world's most costly spices by weight,is native to Greece or Southwest Asia and was first cultivated in Greece.As a genetically monomorphic clone, it was slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania.
| Shade | any pH | peach to reddish-orange |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
good good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
| E number | E161g | |
Canthaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment that belong to a larger class of phytochemicals known as terpenoids. It was first isolated in edible mushrooms. It has also been found in green algae, bacteria, crustaceans, and fish such as carp, goldenmullet,seabream and trush wrasse.In the EU, canthaxanthin is allowed by law to be added to sausages of Strasbourg, as well as trout feed, salmon feed and poultry feed. The European Union limit is 80 mg/kg of feedstuffing,8 mg/kg in feed for egg laying hens and 25 mg/kg in feed for other poultry and salmonids.
Lycopene is a natural food colorant, ranging from yellow thru to red.Lycopene from the neo-Latin lycopersicum, the tomato species, is a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment and phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons, gac, and papayas. It is insoluble in water. Lycopene's eleven conjugated double bonds give its deep red colour and its antioxidant activity. Owing to the strong colour, lycopene is a useful food colouring (registered in the EU as E160d) and is generally approved for usage in the USA (specifically for meat), Australia and New Zealand (registered as 160d).
| Shade | any pH | green |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
very good very good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid, paste | |
| Solubility | water or oil | |
Alfalfa(Medicago sativa) is a perennial flowering plant cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. Alfalfa is a small seeded crop, and has a slowly-growing seedling, but after several months of establishment, forms a tough 'crown' at the top of the root system. This crown contains many shoot buds that enables alfalfa to re-grow many times after being grazed or harvested.It superficially resembles clover, with clusters of small purple flowers followed by fruits spiralled in 2 to 3 turns containing 10-20 seeds. The plant grows to a height of up to 1 meter (3 ft), and has a deep root system, sometimes stretching more than 15 meters (49 ft).Alfalfa has been cultivated by humans since at least the 4th century CE and has some use in herbal medicine.
| Shade | any pH | green |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 2.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
very good very good good |
| Forms | powder, liquid | |
| Solubility | water or oil | |
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in cyanobacteria and the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words which means greenleaf. Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule which allows plants to absorb energy from light. Chlorophyll absorbs light most strongly in the blue portion of theelectromagnetic spectrum, followed by the red portion. However, it is a poor absorber of green and near-green portions of the spectrum, hence the green colour of chlorophyll-containing tissues.
| Shade | any pH | pale blue to violet blue |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable pH range | 5.0-14.0 | |
| Stability | heat light acid |
good fair not stable |
| Forms | powder | |
| Solubility | water, ethanol, propylene glycol | |
Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage. It contains nutrients, including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid). It is a variety of fresh water algae similar in makeup to sea vegetables such as dulse, kelp, nori, kombu, arame, wakame, and chlorella.However, compared to other sea vegetables, spirulina has been shown to be more easily digestible and have greater nutrient bioavailability.
Spirulina extract is now approved for colouring confections (including candy and chewing gum), frostings, ice cream and frozen desserts, dessert coatings and toppings, beverage mixes and powders, yogurts, custards, puddings, cottage cheese, gelatine, breadcrumbs, ready-to-eat cereals (excluding extruded cereals), and coatings for dietary supplements, drug tablets and capsules, at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice.
Many custom colour/pearl blends also available.
FD&C Dyes are available in granular, powder and liquid forms.
Custom powder and liquid shades are available upon request.
FD&C Lakes are available in a variety of pure dye ranges.
Custom shades can be produced in either powder form or in dispersed forms.
