Food scientists at Roha have found another breakthrough to tackle the twin challenges of curcumin. The company has launched Natracol Bright Yellow - a water-dispersible curcumin liquid that imparts an intense bright yellow shade in confectionery applications.

Curcumin, with its amazing medicinal properties, has always tantalized the edibles coloring industry as the best source of yellow. But harnessing its yellow for food applications has proved elusive to researchers the world over. Although stable at temperatures used in food processing, curcumin is light sensitive, and reluctantly soluble in water. But now Roha has come up with a solution.

The ingredients used in Natracol Bright Yellow make it very compatible with food applications and ideal for panned candies and confectioneries. It is bright yellow that stays bright yellow. Bright Yellow from curcumin is yet another game changer in the natural color segment from the house of Roha.

Mr. Byron Madkins, the Vice President of Global Color Application and R&D spoke with : “We have been initially focusing our Natracol Bright Yellow on confectionary applications, namely panned candies, gummies, and hard boiled candies. But later down the line this ingredient may be used for a wide variety of food applications.”

“For Natracol Bright Yellow, the coloring component must be labeled. Labeling requirements for turmeric will vary slightly, depending on which part of the world is in question. In the US, for example, it is labelled as Turmeric (for color). In Europe, it can be labelled as Color: E100 or Color: Curcumin. In other parts of the world, it would be labelled simply by the name, Curcumin,” he explains.

Consumers globally are becoming more aware of the ingredients which are in the foods they eat. In this very important trend, consumers are looking to avoid those ingredients which are artificially or synthetically derived, and are hoping to consume foods which contain ingredients which are simple, naturally derived or, sourced from nature. According to Madkins, Natural Colors satisfy this trend globally. “In many parts of the world, such as Europe, the trend has clearly moved to ingredients which are foods, which impart a color, namely coloring foodstuffs. These are naturally derived ingredients (juices, concentrates, for example) which have minimal processing and further satisfy the trend towards natural and clean labeling.”

Advantages of Natracol Bright Yellow:

• Disperses readily in water
• Highly stable to extended exposure to light - more than standard emulsions
• No change in shade, intensity and brightness of color with change of pH
• Intense and bright shade when applied on coatings
• Palm free
• Polysorbate-80 free
• Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory compound

Launching Natracol Bright Yellow Roha Managing Director Brijesh Tibrewala lauded the ingenuity of his research team. “In our hot pursuit of solutions for our clients, we have invested well in people and R&D. Our 13 application labs facilitate and inspire our scientists to research, innovate and invent. Natracol Bright Yellow is one more innovative solution from the house of Roha. We hope it will brighten up the palettes of confectioners and tickle the palates of food lovers across the globe,” said Tibrewala.

“Curcumin is the formal name for the coloring pigment of turmeric. It has been around for centuries, as a spice, as well as an anti-inflammatory agent which also treats digestive problems and has healing properties. It is a very well-known antioxidant, in addition to providing bright yellow shades in food applications,” Madkins finalizes.