How the diverse applications of fruit powder make food healthier and more appealing

According to BrandEssence Market Research and Consulting, the global food colors market is expected to reach nearly USD 5 billion by 2025. This growing demand means that manufacturers need to pay more attention to the use of color additives and related regulations.

A color additive is any dye, pigment or substance that can impart color to a food, drug or cosmetic product, or to the human body. Color additives are important components of many products and act as a type of code that allows us to automatically recognize products on sight, like candy flavors, medicine dosages and left or right contact lenses. When added to food, color additives or food dyes help make food and beverage products more attractive, appealing and appetizing to consumers.

In the USA, color additives fall into two main categories: those requiring certification and those exempt from certification. Color additives are required to be preapproved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and listed in the color additive regulations before they are permitted to be used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products, as well as medical devices.

Currently, nine synthetic food colors are subject to certification by the FDA to ensure they meet the identity and specification requirements of their listing regulations. Those derived from plant or mineral sources are exempt from FDA certification, however, they still must comply with their listing regulations for identification and purity specifications as well as use limitations.

Similarly, the European Union permits several colors of synthetic origin. Natural constituents of food and other natural sources are defined as food colors, which do not fall within the scope of EU food additive regulations. For example, fruit powder is considered an ingredient rather than an additive and is therefore not just used as a coloring or an aromatic substance but as a primary constituent of a finished food product (subject to authorization according to European regulations).