No matter where we go in nature, color is at the core of our fascination. Natural hues provide safer and more eco-friendly alternatives than synthetic dyes used to color the world around us.
Natural blue and green colors may still be relatively unfamiliar in the bakery category, but their use should increase as companies move away from artificial dyes.
Cochineal & Carmine
Your favorite designer drinks or strawberry yogurt contain beautiful red hues from natural dye made from female cochineal insects – parasitic bugs that live on Opuntia cacti.
Cochineals produce carminic acid, which when mixed with aluminium or calcium salts forms cochineal dye – also referred to as natural red four or E120.
Beta-Carotene
As opposed to synthetic colors, natural dyes are safe and nontoxic, providing essential vitamins for health.
Phycocyanins are water soluble natural pigments derived from Spirulina algae that provide vibrant green hues with high heat, light, and pH stability.
Beta-carotene can be converted to vitamin A by the body, which is essential for maintaining healthy skin and eyes as well as acting as an antioxidant with anticarcinogenic activity.
Carrot Juice
Carrots (Daucus carota sativus) contain Vitamin A, an essential nutrient for eye health. A single glass of carrot juice provides over 250% of your recommended daily allowance of this vital nutrient!
Eating carrots and their juice is a fantastic way to strengthen your immune system, with fermented carrot juice being proven effective against diabetes.
Turmeric
Turmeric, an extract of the Curcuma longa plant, is commonly used to give food a yellow-orange hue while also providing anti-inflammatory benefits and natural antioxidant protection.
Turmeric extract can effectively inhibit different strains of Helicobacter pylori (Mahady et al, 2002) as well as serve as an antioxidant free radical scavenger.
Beetroot
Beetroot (scientifically known as Beta vulgaris) is an eye-catching root vegetable packed with nutrition that may reduce blood pressure, boost exercise performance and more.
Beetroot contains natural plant pigments known as betalains that may help reduce inflammation and protect against cancer, while simultaneously helping lower blood pressure by increasing levels of nitric oxide.
Saffron
Saffron is one of the world’s most expensive spices, produced from flowers from Crocus sativus which only flower for short harvest seasons and lives for relatively brief periods of time – making its production extremely labor-intensive.
Research indicates that saffron can help to lower blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity and improve eyesight. Furthermore, its constituent molecules such as crocins, crocetin and picrocrocin exert beneficial effects against various neuropsychiatric and age-related illnesses.
Spinach
Spinach is an amazing source of vitamins and minerals, including iron, Vitamin C & E, potassium and magnesium.
Nature provides us with a wide variety of hues and shades – from light copper to deep chestnut. These colors can be used to complement or highlight other colors in an image; for instance, adding gray shades into an earthy green palette creates subtle contrast.
Blueberries
Following EU requirements that manufacturers remove six synthetic dyes due to concerns of hyperactivity in children, US food makers have switched to natural colors derived from fruits, vegetables and minerals and do not require batch certification.
Colors play an essential part in our environment, providing signals from one living organism to the next. A bumblebee’s yellow wings or the brilliant blue hues of hedge bindweed blooms are among several examples.
Annatto Seeds
Annatto seeds (Bixa orellana) produce an all-natural food dye with orange-red hue, commonly used to add vibrancy and brightness to rice dishes and sauces/marinades.
These seeds contain carotenoids such as byssinia and norbixin, powerful antioxidants proven to support eye health, improve skin condition and even boost liver function.
Paprika
Paprika is an indispensable pantry item that can add spice and zest to dishes like deviled eggs as well as marinades and rubs for meats.
Carotenoids such as beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein/zeaxanthin help protect against eye diseases while providing your body with essential vitamins A, B6 and iron.
No matter its source – Hungarian chicken paprikash or its spicy, smoked version – paprika adds an irresistibly vibrant hue and taste to soups, stews, dips and grilled vegetables alike.
