Oterra and Seprify deliver clean-label titanium dioxide alternative
Oterra has announced a strategic partnership with Swiss materials science company Seprify to bring a next-generation, plant-based white colouring solution to the food and beverage industry — offering formulators a clean-label, high-performance alternative to titanium dioxide (TiO₂).
The new ingredient, based on Seprify’s patented microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) technology, delivers the same opacity, brightness, and whitening effect as TiO₂, but with a significantly improved sustainability profile.
Sourced from FSC-certified virgin wood pulp, the cellulose particles are engineered to scatter light in a way that mimics the visual impact of titanium dioxide — without the regulatory and environmental concerns. The material is nano-compliant, food-safe, and estimated to generate 80% lower CO₂ emissions than TiO₂.
For food and beverage developers, this innovation opens new possibilities across a wide range of applications, according to the two companies. The ingredient has already been tested in over 15 categories, including bakery icings, confectionery coatings, sauces, plant-based dairy and meat, and powdered beverages. It disperses easily, is stable under light, heat, and pH variation, and requires lower dosages than many existing alternatives—all while maintaining a neutral flavour and odour profile.
Luc Ganivet, chief innovation officer at Oterra, emphasised the breakthrough for formulators: “While we’ve had natural alternatives for specific use cases, this new cellulose-based white gives us broader functionality across more food and beverage systems. It’s a major step forward in delivering clean-label solutions without compromising on performance.”
The partnership leverages Oterra’s global formulation expertise and commercial reach with Seprify’s deep materials science and scalable production platform. For formulators navigating the phase-out of TiO₂ in key markets, this solution offers a drop-in replacement that meets both regulatory and consumer expectations.
Dr. Lukas Schertel, CEO and co-founder of Seprify, added: “We’re proving that natural materials can match the whitening performance of titanium dioxide while supporting sustainability goals and compliance with evolving legislation. This partnership accelerates the shift toward responsible, scalable ingredient systems.”
The new white is now available for customer trials, with pilot studies already underway across Europe and North America.
