Natural Colour for Topical Seasonings and Dry-Blend Applications

Activity is Hot in Salty Snacks and Topical Seasonings

Consumers are spending more time in transit as part of their daily routine. In turn, portability and convenience has product innovation heating up, especially in snacking. Consumers are using salty snacks as meal replacements or as quick fillers in-between meals (Mintel). It’s not surprising IRI data for the calendar year of 2016 indicated salty snacks as the second largest grocery category rounding out at $17.5 billion in annual sales. Additionally, spices and seasonings, common ingredients in many salty snacks, enjoyed a 6.6% sales increase in 2016 versus the prior calendar year.
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In fact, new launches in seasonings increased by 40% in 2016, making it one of the most active years in the category’s history. Source: Mintel

The “naturalness” movement has largely influenced new activity in seasonings. Brand leaders like McCormick and Unilever have increased the natural credentials in many of their products due to consumer demand for simpler ingredients. NPD has not only been pertaining to packet seasonings but also many savoury offerings like puffed snacks and chips that are coated in seasonings. puffed-snacks Colour plays a critical part in seasonings by bringing all of the different flavour offerings to life through unique shades. One would expect a hot and spicy snack to look different than a cheddar cheese one. Colour helps create the expectation of a flavour’s visual appeal in seasonings. Since adventurous and exotic flavours have been a major driver for the salty snack category, the demand for custom natural colour shades has been rising. This underlying interest for the natural snack could be a huge opportunity for snack and seasonings developers. There is certainly room for growth in snacks, especially those combining on-the-go convenience, natural ingredients like colour from fruit and vegetable juices, and flavour innovation. Ready-to-eat popcorn is a great example of this union, and their sales prove it.

Clean Label Colour for Topical Seasonings and Dry-Blend Applications

Topical seasonings typically land in the neutral pH area, so Lakes, which are stable between pH 4.0-8.0, never really had any performance issues due to pH. In fact, the way a Lake is developed by extending the dye onto an aluminum hydrate substrate makes them ideal for plating grade applications like seasonings or dry mixes. The particle size of the powder helps the Lake evenly coat the topical seasoning, making application to products like chips or popcorn that contain oil/fat more uniform.
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Thus, maintaining attractive and bright shades in topical seasonings have never been a factor for food scientists and developers working with Lakes. But, when converting to natural colour or launching a product with colour from fruit and vegetable juices, you should be aware of a few technical obstacles.
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THE PARTICLE SIZE

of standard natural colour powders prohibits even coating distribution

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HIGH USAGE RATES

typically necessary to achieve desired shade which can impact flavour profile of seasoning

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MOISTURE

can affect natural colour stability and cause colour migration

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SENSITIVITY TO pH

can cause colour degradation or shade shifting dependent on natural colour source

The conversion to natural in topical seasonings can appear complex when compared to the performance of Lakes. However, an innovative solution unique to topical seasonings or dry blend processing applications is available. The Microfine™ technology is an aluminum-free natural colour line that simulates synthetic Lakes. Specifically designed for customers who want to switch from certified Lakes to natural colour without any compromise on colour performance or flavour, this advanced natural colour solution uniformly blends in topical seasonings and coats dry products without use of high-shear blending or spray-drying.

The Microfine’s plating grade capability delivers superb visual appeal and intense colour shades, reducing the need for high usage rates. In addition, exclusive, custom natural colour shades are available to bring any unique flavours to life. Customized packaging is possible with Microfine™ powders for ease of shipping and storing too.

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Microfine™ is a good example of our commitment to close the gap between natural colour science and certified colour technology, so your brand can meet growing consumer demand for clean-label seasonings and snacking products.
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Update

Our innovation team is cooking up a NEW natural liquid colour solution that delivers highly customized shades, so leading salty snack brands can differentiate their product offerings.
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