In food and beverage, natural color continues to gain traction as synthetic colors come under scrutiny. The global regulatory landscape is being shaped by regional bans or restrictions on one or more synthetic colors, and in the United States, pressure to move away from synthetic colors continues to mount from both governmental bodies and consumers.

There is a finite amount of natural food color resources. Right now, there is not enough natural supply to completely replace the synthetic color in the market.

Conversion to natural food color requires planning ahead. It is dependent on the raw material source and on how much availability there is. Agronomy and agriculture take time to expand: Even the most prepared color manufacturer may need up to three years to produce massive quantities of botanically sourced colors based on growing cycles.

Given current production, Sensient's analysts project it could take up to six years to reach 100% of market demand for some natural colors, and longer for others. Cost-in-use is also higher for natural color, which will take time to improve with market recovery.

That is why it is important to work with a color supplier like Sensient, that will continually work on the agronomy, innovation, and expertise needed to meet demand. Sensient has a vertically integrated process built to scale faster than anyone else in the industry. As a U.S.-based manufacturer of color with global locations, Sensient can find the best color solutions with optimizations to improve cost in use where possible.

It is likely that these trends will push food and beverage manufacturers to consider natural alternatives to common synthetic colors. However, there are important considerations to keep in mind when faced with a potentially necessary conversion to natural.

Usage Rate Impacts
Because colors from natural sources are less highly concentrated than synthetic colors, brands should expect to see a volume increase in the color needed to achieve the same shades.

Preparing Manufacturing Facilities
Different natural colors will require different storage conditions, and it can take time to prepare manufacturing facilities for a conversion. Consider investments in refrigeration and storage capacity to handle new inventory and ensure product safety and longevity.

Application & Regional Technical Considerations
Due to differences in regional legislation and application-specific processing, not every natural color can be used equally in every product or every country. Sensient's broad portfolio of natural solutions offers the strongest potential for color matches that meet consumer expectations, and Sensient's team of color experts is ready to guide manufacturers and developers through the conversion process.

Securing The Supply Chain
Developing a robust and redundant supply chain security for colors from natural sources is both critical and complex. While synthetic colors seemed almost ubiquitous in their availability, ensuring natural inventory both now and in the future requires thinking ahead.

Cultivating a Color Partnership
Conversion to natural can be complicated, and having a trusted color partner to guide the process will make things easier and more successful. Understand the ramifications of ongoing legislation and regulations and be prepared to meet them to avoid being left behind by rapid changes.

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