IN PURSUIT of a RED 40 REPLACEMENT 1 in Pursuit of a Red a Damsel in Distress 40 Replacement
IN PURSUIT OF A RED 40 REPLACEMENT 1 In Pursuit of a Red A Damsel in Distress 40 Replacement
A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS “Fickle” and “unpredictable” are far from the right words to describe the intensely beautiful and consistent shades of red so many developers have come to expect of Red 40, with some exceptions in beverages.
Despite all of the media’s substantial evidence to These articles are great criticism directed towards claim Red 40 harms people. portrayals of the media’s Red 40, a once reliable colorant for food the synthetic color, the However, a simple Google relationship with Red 40, FDA remains firm on search yields the following stating food dyes like Red manufacturers, has earned a reputation for being their position concerning results “The Scary Truth 40 carry carcinogens and the safety of Red 40. about Red 40” and cause allergic reactions. the most concerning artificial color to consumers. There just isn’t enough "Is Red Dye 40 Toxic?"
In response, many and beverages where a solution has left brands food scientists have heat-step is required for to discontinue their been in pursuit of a processing like cookies, red-colored products. Red 40 replacement. A chips, extruded cereals Unfortunately, many conversion to natural and snacks, strawberry food scientists end up red has proven to be milks or red velvet baked compromising their quite daunting for some goods, a natural red natural color conversion because of an obvious that survives extreme by sacrificing shade and void in available natural heat temperatures has enduring less than ideal colors—a heat-stable red been missing. At times, processing effects in their The chemical makeup of Red 40: Disodium 6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4- at neutral pH. In food the absent natural color quest to replace Red 40. sulfophenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenesulfonate SO THE JOURNEY BEGINS... 2 In Pursuit of a Red Crossing the Path 40 Replacement of a Trickster CROSSING THE PATH THERE IS A DOWNSIDE OF A TRICKSTER TO BEET COLORANTS A logical alternative to replace Red 40 would be color sourced from the beet. Expressed and concentrated from the Beta vulgaris, or more commonly known as the beet root, natural color from beet functions like a dye and delivers a broad portfolio of red and magenta shades.
Color sourced from beet is labeled as a But, there is a downside to beet “vegetable juice” on ingredient lists, making colorants—they are unstable under The carbon molecules contained in the In addition, usage rates are typically quite it a great clean label claim. The strength of high heat processing and undergo the carbohydrates combine with the amino high with colors sourced from beet, which beet juice is based on its level of betanin, Maillard effect or browning. In 1912, acids of the proteins. This blend occurs can cause disparities in flavor and texture. reported as % betanin. French scientist, Louis-Camille Maillard, on the surface of the heated bread dough, Unfortunately, the flavors of the earthy first discovered the chemical reaction meat or beet and causes the color alteration. root vegetable carry over into products In any form, beet colorants while studying amino acids and reduced sometimes where higher usage rates are are soluble in water and carbohydrates, noting specifically the Baked goods or extruded goods would be required to achieve bright and vivid red perform best within the pH acceleration of the process in alkaline applications where the red beet colorant target shades. Beet juice has also been range of 3.9-6.5. Beet juice environments where amino groups do would be subject to the Maillard effect and known to alter the texture of products is most stable in low water not neutralize (Edinformatics). Similar to shift to a muddied brown. at times; for example, higher usage rates activity applications: ice the browning of baked bread or cooked have caused cookie wafers to become cream, yogurt, fruit bars, meat, a food production line’s heat step undesirably brittle and frail. instant dessert mixes or would change the redness of a beet- dry mix beverages. sourced colorant. When bread dough Beet-sourced colors have the personality or meat is introduced to a hot oven, a of tricksters; they deceive food scientists as complex chemical reaction occurs on possible Red 40 replacements, but their Successful in Low-Water the surface. Maillard Effect of the Beet success varies depending on the application. Activity Applications Colorant in a High Heat Application ONWARD WE GO... 3 In Pursuit of a Red Deciphering a 40 Replacement Change of Heart
Cochineal insects DECIPHERING on cacti Blurring the lines between beauty and disgust, the pink to magenta range of reds from carmine color originates from dried female insects called cochineal (Dactylopius coccus costa (Coccus cacti L). A CHANGE OF HEART Sometimes things start off Recall back to the 2012 If the bug ‘ick factor’ isn’t Female cochineal—which substratum of aluminum The excellent stability great, but then turn in media stories about enough, there are unfortunately outnumber the males 200 hydrate using aluminum is primarily the result of another direction. This is Starbucks’ use of ‘bug juice’ other drawbacks to carmine. to 1—are brushed from and calcium cation as its core anthraquinone or the case for Carmine. Starting coloring in their Strawberry It would not support a brand’s off as a bestseller for natural Frappuccino/Smoothies and movement to cleaner and simpler the cacti and air-dried in precipitants. The resulting honeycomb red coloring because of its Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. ingredients, because it must the sun. After drying, they lake is called carmine. structure of the great stability across food Since then, the mogul coffee be labeled as an ‘allergen’ on are bagged and delivered Approximately 70,000 carminic acid and beverage products, company has removed a product’s ingredient list. to central markets for sale insects are needed to molecules. The carmine now has some Carmine from products, but Carmine also does not align consumers turning up their the negativity surrounding with Kosher or Halal standards, to carmine producers. The make one pound of 50% honeycomb noses in disgust. the natural color source making it additionally unavailable dried cochineal, which carminic acid lake. makeup provides the remains today. to a subset of consumers. contain 17% to 24% carminic carminic acid with the acid, are subjected to a In the 1980s, carmine least density and highest UNDER THE BRIDGE AND carefully controlled gained importance as the compression of its pigment THROUGH THE WOODS... extraction process in an natural replacer of FD&C properties, exaggerating acidic, aqueous, alcohol Red 3 with its bright and its color performance solution. This solution varied shades of red throughout a variety of Carmine Application: of carminic acid is then delivered successfully applications and conditions. Yogurts precipitated (laked) on a across different pH levels. 4 In Pursuit of a Red Dancing with 40 Replacement the Uncanny
Many people are intrigued by the DANCING WITH uncertainty or unknown of the uncanny, but when formulating color solutions, stability is certainly a priority. So how do you control pH-sensitive anthocyanins? The answer is with acid, and this THE UNCANNY modification makes some uncomfortable, Black carrots, purple sweet potatoes, red radishes and grape skin especially those handling the hazmat extract are common sources of the anthocyanin family used for Anthocyanin Color Inconsistency material during manufacturing. However, food color extraction. in High Heat Applications pH-modified anthocyanins allow food scientists to gain some oversight of Colors sourced from anthocyanins prove to be quite mysterious shade stability. to food scientists because of their inherent nature to shade shift across pH levels. Feelings associated with the uncanny are Adding acid to an anthocyanin-based ultimately fear and anxiety about stability, color also could potentially affect the For most anthocyanins, the lower the pH, the more intense and and this sense rings true for anthocyanins. durability of a finished product's stable the color. As the pH level rises, anthocyanins change shades While very familiar sources of color, their texture; for example, a cookie's wafer and hug more closely to purples than reds, sometimes at the ex- enigmatic nature makes them poor suitors could experience unwanted crumbling pense of stability. for high heat applications but great for and degeneration. Also, colors sourced
low pH products: ready-to-drink beverages, from red radishes tend to carry their
dry mix beverages, fruit fillings, yogurts peppery, crisp and bitter flavors into Each anthocyanin exhibits a different and confections. their finished products, altering your stability profile predominantly determined product's taste expected by consumers. by the following: The inconsistencies and sensitivities of anthocyanins make them imperfect The chemical structure of the anthocyanin replacements of Red 40, especially in high heat processing. Other extracted compounds in the color product (flavonoids, polymerized anthocyanins, etc.) THERE'S SUNSHINE THROUGH The ingredients and processing used in the finished product THE CLOUDS THOUGH...
Successful in Low pH Applications 5 In Pursuit of a Red A Hero Saves 40 Replacement the Day
After several years of hard work, Sensient's R&D discovered a breakthrough solution—an all-natural A HERO SAVES Red 40 replacement that delivers vibrant shades of red at neutral pH and stands up to extreme heat processing. This solution revolutionizes baked goods, THE DAY including vivid red velvets, dry grocery goods such as extruded cereals and ready-to-eat snacks, confections such as licorice, gummies or panned candies, and strawberry UHT dairy products to name a few.
Finally, a vibrant, stable all-natural red that survives So how do we beat the browns, bugs and purples heat step applications is available. Food and beverage to win the reds in applications where pH levels rise manufacturers now have a natural solution for Red due to heat processing? In a continued search for 40 that provides relief from adverse development the perfect Red 40 replacement, a hero was born. issues from beet and anthocyanin-sourced colors. 6 In Pursuit of a Red A Hero Saves 40 Replacement the Day We call it SupraRed™, and like red’s association with desire, SupraRed delivers a number of longed for advantages, including the following:
Clean, simple “vegetable juice” labeling SupraRed is sourced from a beet, and our novel technology providing its strength and endurance is free from any chemical solvents.
Excellent heat stability Typical baked and dry grocery goods are in the 5-7 pH range, and products that undergo a heat process will have an increased pH level out of the standard range. The innovation behind SupraRed allows it to stand up to extreme temperatures and rising pH levels while still delivering bold, vibrant shades of red.
Kosher, Halal and GMO-free The vegetable source and clean, chemical-free technology of SupraRed make it a viable option for Kosher, Halal and GMO-free products.
Low usage rates eliminate product flavor off-notes and texture issues SupraRed is over five times stronger than a regular beet color solution. Depending on target shade, typical usage levels range from 0.1%-1.5%. Color intensity can be achieved with low usage levels, leaving no room for disparities in flavor and texture in finished products.
No acidified material Acidified solvents and chemical modifications are not used to enhance SupraRed in any way. Additionally, our Certasure™ program combines stringent testing protocol with raw material traceability to remove the supply chain risk associated with color solutions from natural sources. SupraRed will 100% support a clean label strategy without any questions about purity and safety.
Discover the dynamics of SupraRed™ today by requesting a sample here.
If you have questions or projects where you may need assistance, you can also set up a consultation with one of our natural color experts.