High-intensity beta-carotene colourants

LycoRed Israel has developed new beta-carotene colourant formulations that deliver high-intensity colouring.

Named Lyc-O-Beta Intense and BetaCote Intense, they deliver increased colour intensity allowing for lower colourant usage.

“The LycoRed R&D team of scientists worked around the clock to develop the most recent innovative colourants for food and beverage applications”, says Roee Nir, global commercial manager of colour for LycoRed. “Moreover, these new, high-intensity, beta-carotene colourants are aligned with our sustainable strategy to help food and beverage manufacturers bring value-added products to the market. Lyc-O-Beta Intense and BetaCote Intense allow our customers to significantly reduce costs and enables them to create clean-label and vegetarian products at highly competitive prices”.

Lyc-O-Beta and BetaCote Intense reportedly include a colour intensity that is higher than any other beta-carotene colourants on the market. They deliver a final product colour shade similar to competitive products, but compared to other technologies, the colours are extremely resistant to the fading that can occur as a result of pasteurisation and other stressful processes.

“Manufacturers – especially makers of beverages – consider higher colour intensity and stability their top priorities when it comes to natural colourants”, continues Nir. “Another critical parameter for decision makers is colour solubility”.

LycoRed’s innovative new beta-carotene colourant products line is highly soluble and is available in a concentrated liquid form for user-friendly processing and production. It is non-foaming and avoids clumping issues common to some powdered colourant formats, making it ideal for use in ready-to-drink beverages.

Available in both natural and nature-identical sources, the colourants are not only vegetarian, but kosher and halal and certified free of any allergenic ingredients (as listed in the EU’s Directive 2003/89/EC and these identified in the EU Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of August 2nd 2004). These colourants are also free of DCM (dichloromethane), a common ingredient found in beta-carotene powder products.

– LycoRed will present its beta-carotene colourant line at drinktec on September 16-20, 2013