Brighter future for food as FDA grants new color additive petitions

USA – The USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced three new color additive petitions that will expand the palette of available colors from natural sources for manufacturers to safely use in food.

The FDA is in line with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s priority to phase out petroleum-based dyes in the nation’s food supply as part of the administration’s broader initiative to Make America Healthy Again.

The first natural food color approved is the Galdieria extract blue, a blue color derived from the unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria.

This approval extends to milk-based meal replacements, nutritional beverages, breakfast cereal coatings, various types of candy, flavored frostings, ice cream, frozen dairy desserts, frozen fruits, water ices, popsicles, gelatin desserts, puddings, and custards.

Additionally, the color additive is permitted in whipped cream, yogurt, frozen or liquid creamers—including non-dairy alternatives—and whipped toppings, also including non-dairy variations. The petition for this additive was submitted by the French company Fermentalg.

Second is the Butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used to achieve a range of shades including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens.

Produced through the water extraction of the dried flower petals of the butterfly pea plant, this color 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.

The approval of a petition by St. Louis-based Sensient Colors LLC expands the approved use for coloring ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels, plain potato chips (restructured or baked), plain corn chips, tortilla chips, and multigrain chips.

The third approved food color is Calcium phosphate, a white color 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 Inc. of Cranbury, New Jersey.

 Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Chapter VII, section 721), color additives are subject to FDA approval to determine whether they are safe before they may be used in food.

Subscribe to our email newsletters that provide busy executives like you with the latest news insights and trends from Africa and the World. SUBSCRIBE HERE