FDA approves three food dyes from natural sources

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves three new food colour additives derived from natural sources.

This is part of FDA’s plan to phase out petroleum-based dyes from the country’s food supply.

The approved colour additives include Galdieria extract blue, a blue colour derived from the unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria. FDA has approved the colour additive for use in non-alcoholic beverages and beverage bases, fruit drinks, fruit smoothies, fruit juices, vegetable juices, dairy-based smoothies, milk shakes and flavoured milks, yogurt drinks, milk-based meal replacement and nutritional beverages, breakfast cereal coatings, hard candy, soft candy and chewing gum, flavoured frostings, ice cream and frozen dairy desserts, frozen fruits, water ices and popsicles, gelatin desserts, puddings and custards, and whipped cream, yogurt, frozen or liquid creamers (including non-dairy alternatives), and whipped toppings (including non-dairy alternatives). The approved additive is manufactured by French company Fermentalg.

St. Louis-based Sensient Colors successfully submitted a petition for approval of Butterfly pea flower extract, a blue colour that can be used to achieve a range of shades including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens. Produced through the water extraction of dried flower petals of the butterfly pea plant, this colour additive is already approved for use in sport drinks, fruit drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, alcoholic beverages, dairy drinks, ready-to-drink teas, nutritional beverages, gums, candy, coated nuts, ice creams, and yogurt. FDA has now approved its use in ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels, plain potato chips (restructured or baked), plain corn chips, tortilla chips, and multigrain chips.

Calcium phosphate is a white colour that’s been approved for use in ready-to-eat chicken products, white candy melts, doughnut sugar, and sugar for coated candies. The petition was filed by Innophos of Cranbury, N.J.

Print this page