• After nearly two decades of research, an international team claims to have developed a naturally derived cyan blue dye
• The new dye is extracted from red cabbage and could replace the synthetic blue dyes currently used in the food industry
Researchers have discovered a solution to obtain a natural cyan blue dye that could be used as an alternative to the synthetic food dyes currently used. Beyond food coloring, finding new shades of blue has been a pressing problem for scientists for years. Blue pigments are quite difficult to obtain because this color is extremely rare in nature. Scientists at the University of California Davis say they have developed a naturally derived cyan blue dye made from anthocyanin pigments. These pigments are the ones that give color to red, purple and blue plants, but also in fruits, such as blueberries and eggplants.
The new natural dye is obtained from red cabbage
The new cyan food coloring is obtained from red cabbage. A small amount of natural blue anthocyanin is found in red cabbage. So the researchers developed a way to convert other anthocyanins in red cabbage into the desired blue anthocyanin, using specially designed enzymes. According to the study published in the journal Science Advances, with the help of a powerful computer, the researchers analyzed trillions and trillions of potential protein sequences. This is to design an enzyme that can perform this conversion with high efficiency. According to the researchers, the new color can produce better shades of green, and in larger quantities, than those derived from existing natural blue dyes.
How the new blue dye was arrived at
Previous experiments in the research project have shown that red cabbage anthocyanins produce a vibrant blue color in a pH-neutral solution. But this color was considered too violet to replace artificial blue dye. They then focused on Peak 2 (P2), a minor mono-acylated anthocyanin that contributes less than 5% of the total anthocyanin content of red cabbage. And that produced the desired blue color. Furthermore, the researchers claim that this dye "showed remarkable stability in sugar syrup for over 55 days, with only 14% color loss". This, while many other colors that come from natural sources, including anthocyanins, have limited stability over time.
Two decades of research
The discovery is the result of nearly two decades of research conducted at the Mars Advanced Research Institute and Mars Wrigley Science and Technology, in collaboration with the UC Davis Institute for Food and Health; Ohio State University; Nagoya University in Japan; University of Avignon in France; and SISSA University in Italy.
The process makes it possible to satisfy the demand for natural dyes
The scientific leader of the research project, PhD candidate in biophysics Pamela Denish, told FoodNavigator that the new dye can solve a number of problems for food manufacturers. "Our dye is most similar to synthetic FD&C Blue 1," she said. "It's a simple substitution for synthetic dyes, with many manufacturers already pledging to remove synthetic dyes from their ingredient lists." Pamela Denish says that while there are other natural blue dyes in the food industry, this is the most similar to synthetic FD&C Blue 1 and , it also mixes best with natural yellow dyes to achieve a vibrant green.
It will be used in pastries, doughs, but also yogurts
Other natural blue dyes create an unsightly brown-green when mixed with yellow, Denish said. “Finally, our enzymatic process allows the dye to be enriched with amounts that meet the needs of the market. Alternatives such as spirulina are simply not abundant enough to meet the demand. Which makes them very expensive and unrealistic for use by large food manufacturers with non-niche products". Pamela Denish also claims the new dye works in candy, ice cream and frosting recipes. "We are excited to see what other options are feasible, and we are also looking at using this colorant in yogurts, pastries and doughs."
Why is blue rare in nature?
Shades of blue are very rare in nature. Many of the colors that appear as blue are actually reds and purples. True blue can only be found in a few plants. But the only animal that produces a true blue pigment is believed to be the obrina olivewing butterfly (Nessaea obrinus), according to IFL Science. Scientists believe it is so rare because of the physics of light. Pigments appear in the color of light they reflect and do not absorb. Blue light has more energy than the other shades in the visible spectrum.
Article made by Redaccia Arta Albă
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