FDA grants petitions for three color additives derived from natural sources

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted three new color additive petitions following its April 22 announcement to phase out petroleum-based color additives and fast-track the approval of naturally-derived color additives.

“On April 22, I said the FDA would soon approve several new color additives and would accelerate our review of others. I’m pleased to report that promises made, have been promises kept,” said FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, in a press release. “FDA staff have been moving quickly to expedite the publication of these decisions, underscoring our serious intent to transition away from petroleum-based dyes in the food supply and provide new colors from natural sources.”

The approved color additive petitions include:

• Galdieria extract blue, which is derived from unicellular red algae Galdieria sulphuraria. The petition was submitted by the French company FermentaIgn and the additive is approved for use in “nonalcoholic beverages and beverage bases, fruit drinks, fruit smoothies, fruit juices, vegetable juices, dairy-based smoothies, milk shakes and flavored milks, yogurt drinks, milk-based meal replacement and nutritional beverages, breakfast cereal coatings, hard candy, soft candy and chewing gum, flavored frostings, ice cream and frozen dairy desserts, frozen fruits, water ices and popsicles, gelatin desserts, puddings and custards, and whipped cream, yogurt, frozen or liquid creamers (including non-dairy alternatives), and whipped toppings (including non-dairy alternatives).”
• Butterfly pea flower extract is also a blue color that can be used to create multiple tones, including bright blues, intense purple, and natural greens. It is produced using water extraction of the dried flower petals of the butterfly pea plant. It was 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 petition was submitted by St. Louis-based Sensient colors. The extract was already approved 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.”
• A white color made from calcium phosphate was approved for “ready-to-eat products, white candy melts, doughnut sugar, and sugar for coated candies.” The petition was submitted by Cranbury, NJ-based Innophos Inc.