Gold Coast Ingredients has a manufacturing facility in Commerce, Calif., as well as a research & development and distribution center in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., which is staffed with senior flavor chemists, analytical chemists, and an in-house applications team. 

Developed by Penn State Professor of Food Science, Greg Ziegler, Ph.D. and Associate Professor of Food Science Joshua Lambert, in 2016, AvoColor addresses the consumer desire for food colorants created from natural materials.  

Although synthetic food colors (FD&C colors) have historically been favored by the industry due to predictable performance and lower cost, in recent years consumers have increasingly demanded the use of natural colorants.

The newly certified organic color spectrum includes a blue shade obtained from spirulina; a pink/reddish shade from red beet; as well as other appealing, naturally occurring hues such as yellow, orange, red and purple. 

“For the first time, we’ve created a whole new variety of vegetable to create the natural color our customers are asking for,” says Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen, vice president, Commercial Development at Chr. Hansen Natural Colors. 

Annatto seeds and extracts have been used for more than a century in Europe and North America to provide a yellow to reddish color to foods and beverages, thus becoming the second most economically important natural colorant worldwide.

In his new role, Ripley will be responsible for directing and managing all commercial efforts for Sethness Caramel Color products throughout Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. He will also assume selected domestic sales responsibilities.

With more than 10 new laboratories, GCI’s S.M.A.R.T. Center focuses on developing custom flavors and colors, as well as extracts, flavor modifiers, and ingredient enhancers.

Shoppers, particularly younger ones hailing from Generation Z, will gravitate towards food and drink colored with natural yellow and orange shades in order to tune into the optimistic sentiments they convey, adds GNT.

It seems clear that transition to natural is global in nature. According to Mintel, more than 75% of the food and drink products launched globally in the first three quarters of 2018 used colors from natural sources versus synthetic options.