According to Chr. Hansen, food and beverage manufacturers have a long tradition of using Red 40 (Allura Red), a synthetic food colour, to ensure the visual appeal of their finished products. The company goes on to note that, currently, the food industry is experiencing hefty price increases for Red 40, mostly due to a cost increase for p-cresidine sulfonic acid, a synthetic chemical which is used in the manufacture of Red 40.
Chr. Hansen claims that its Ultra Stable Red has been clearly proven and demonstrated to provide a bright red shade option that is stable, cost-friendly and derived from nature.
“Our best advice to food manufacturers, who are concerned about the price fluctuations for Red 40, is to use this as an opportunity to switch to a naturally derived alternative, namely our Ultra Stable Red,” said Byron Madkins, Americas director of business development, Chr. Hansen. “Ultra Stable Red is our range of beautifully bright and intense, vegetable-based colours which demonstrate outstanding performance and stability.”
“Not only do the Ultra Stable Red products offer a close shade match to Red 40, they are also 20-40% more stable than other natural red shades based on popular anthocyanin sources such as grape skin and black carrot. And with the cost increase for p-cresidine sulfonic acid which is driving up prices for Red 40, now is an opportune time to switch to a stable, cost-effective natural alternative.”
The Ultra Stable Red solutions are described as being based on unique, vegetable-based anthocyanin sources, and are available in liquid and powder forms. The range was originally developed for beverage applications but Chr. Hansen says that its R&D and applications teams globally have worked to further optimise the formulations in the range, allowing for them to be suitable for most low pH products and applications, including confectionary, dairy and fruit preparations, and prepared foods.
“We know from market research that the vast majority of consumers prefer natural colourants in their food products,” said Chr. Hansen’s Peter Thorninger, VP, natural colours commercial development. “Globally we have observed this trend for years, and now we see a growing number of food manufacturers in the US buying into the trend as well. At Chr. Hansen we are devoted to developing the best natural colour solutions, which is the primary reason why we have recently built a new anthocyanin plant where we process and formulate our Ultra Stable Red solutions. With Red 40 being so costly at the moment, we have the best natural red solution and are ready to help our customers switch.”
