When manufacturers are looking to formulate foods and beverages using natural food coloring, selecting the right supplier of natural food colors is crucial. When it comes to selecting a supplier, it’s not just about picking the right hue. Specifications, documentation, application assistance and supply capability are also needed consistently from the buyers. The appropriate supplier should be both technically and practically appropriate for the product and the requirements of production.
Start With the Product Application
The first thing to do is to determine the area of color usage. The natural colors may vary depending on the food matrix and the food processing conditions. Different performance characteristics may be needed for a beverage, a dairy product, a confectionery product, a bakery product or a frozen product.
Before reaching out to suppliers, take into account such factors as the product pH, processing temperatures, light exposure, storage, desired shade, and anticipated shelf life. It’s also important to understand if the formulation needs to be a powder, liquid or concentrate. Requirements are clearly defined so suppliers can suggest the appropriate solutions.
Evaluate Technical Documentation
Documentation is key to supplier evaluation since it offers information that can’t be judged by appearance. Buyers should obtain up to date specification and relevant quality documentation of the ingredients being considered.
Useful documents could be a certificate of analysis, an allergen statement, microbiological specifications, heavy metal information, storage conditions, shelf life information, and regulatory documents, depending on the ingredient and market. Identification and traceability data for batch information may also contribute to quality management.
Food Color Suppliers should clearly and consistently communicate these. Good documentation can enable the procurement and technical team to compare ingredients on a documented basis instead of just by relying on the sample or sales description.
Assess Color Performance
In the case of a natural color, it should be assessed in the formulation if possible. Other ingredients, processing time, light, heat, pH, and oxygen may affect color performance.
Inquire from prospective suppliers what they might expect their performance to be under the conditions that are involved in your product. Application guidelines may be helpful in the case of a desired shade that needs to stay the same during processing and storage.
Dosage, dispersion and solubility, as well as appearance in the final product, should also be discussed. All of these can impact the formulation efficiency and the end visual outcome.
Review Supply Capabilities
Technical suitability is just one of the criteria to consider when choosing a supplier. Manufacturers also require a supply agreement that is capable of supporting development and ongoing production.
Evaluate the various factors (formats, packaging, MOQ, lead time, batch consistency, manufacturing capacity). When an ingredient is to be used commercially, question the supplier about how he or she handles repeat orders and maintains consistency from batch to batch.
Natural Food Color Suppliers should also be able to describe how they are able to identify and trace batches. A good supply chain is easier to manage if the supply communication is clear.
Consider Development Support
When a formulation needs a particular shade and/or has challenging formulation conditions, technical support may be beneficial. Manufacturers do not need to assess the ingredient based on a catalog; they can discuss the actual application requirements with the supplier.
Giving advice on color selection, sample assessment, formulation, troubleshooting, and/or identifying other natural color sources available are all examples of support. This could be a very useful way to gauge the suitability of a color if a product developer is considering purchasing in bulk.
Compare Before Deciding
When deciding on the final supplier, appearance or buying terms are not always the most important. Look at the product specifications, technical support, documentation, applicability, supply and communication quality combined.
Evaluation of appropriate formulations for the final formulation can give a more realistic basis of comparison. The desired outcome is to determine which ingredient(s) and supplier(s) can meet the product specifications and provide uniform manufacturing.
Conclusion
When selecting an appropriate natural color supplier, the following factors need to be balanced: technical, quality, application and supply. Manufacturers need to specify the requirements of their product first, review the documentation, test the color performance and know what a supplier can do to help the product continue to be manufactured. If you take the time to do a little research, it will be easier to decide what to buy. Foodrgb.com is also a resource for businesses to learn more about natural color ingredients, explore the options available with their suppliers and may even be a solution that they should consider in their ingredient sourcing process.
