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NEWS RELEASE 08 June 2011 |
PLEASE CONTACT Campbell Barnum, Vice President Tel: +1 502 895 2438 E-mail: campbell.barnum@ddwcolor.com |
By Cindy Hazen, Contributing Editor
Excerpts from December 22, 2010 Food Product Design magazine pp. 32, 39-40
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hen it comes to quenching a consumer’s thirst for a healthy drink, dairy provides a naturally nutritious base. Today’s products – from smoothies to probiotic shots-are dressed up with appealing nutrients, healthful bacteria, colors, flavors and more, making formulation much more complex than straight milk.
Finishing touches
Jody Renner-Nantz, food science chemist, D.D. Williamson, Louisville, KY. cautions dairy beverages have different challenges for natural-color stability. Because the pH of milk is about pH 6.8, carotenoids (natural beta-carotene, annatto extract), betalains (red beet) and curcumin (turmeric) can work. As a group, these cover a hue range from yellow to orange to pink to red. As cultures are introduced for yogurt-based beverages, such as kefir, the pH is lower. That opens the door to fruit or vegetable-based anthocyanins (elderberry, black carrot, purple sweet potato, red cabbage), which demonstrate a purple-red hue at pH 4.0. Below a pH of 3.5, anthocyanins show more redness. Within anthocyanins, the vegetable-based are more stable than the fruit-based, due to the presence of acyl groups.”
Getting just the right color often requires a blended solution, not a straight coloring. “Carmine is frequently used in dairy drinks to impart a pink to red hue; however, its use is limited to non-vegan, non-kosher application and now is required to be labeled on the ingredient statement instead of being declared as “color-added,” says Renner-Nantz.
For chocolate milk, “we recommend a blend of caramel color and a red coloring”, says Renner-Nantz. There are four classes of caramel color that are stable in different environments. “Given that milk micelles have a negative colloidal charge, a Class IV double-strength caramel color is the best selection. Caramel color added to milk demonstrates gray tones, so a red-hued coloring is also needed to achieve a chocolate-brown color. One can use either synthetic Red 40 or a natural red coloring. For strawberry milk, we recommend a blend of annatto extract and red beet.”
The Colour House -- DDW's mission is to enhance the visual appeal of food and beverages. The Colour House is a place where creativity blends with advanced technical capability to bring colour ideas to life for customers. DDW's wide array of natural colouring, along with its sought after caramel colour and burnt sugar, helps sell two billion servings every day. A trusted and recognized provider of colour solutions for the food and beverage industry, the company operates nine manufacturing sites on five continents. Visit www.ddwcolour.com and follow us on Twitter @ddwcolor