This increase allows tomato lycopene colourants from Israel’s LycoRed to effectively replace FD&C Red #40 and carmine in a wide assortment of deli meats, sausage and hot dogs.
LycoRed’s Tomat-O-Red produces red hues similar to those from artificial and insect-based colours.
Natural food colour applications for global meat product launches, as tracked by Innova Market Insights, showed a 21% increase in product launch activity in 2012 over 2011, and a further 5% increase in 2013 from 2012.
“The USDA decision changes the ballgame for us,” said Roee Nir, colorant business unit manager at LycoRed. “We now may offer RTE meat manufacturers dramatic colour options that previously were only attainable with artificial or insect-derived colours.”
Both of the LycoRed clean-label colourants are acceptable for use in RTE beef, pork and poultry products, as well as RTE meats for the fast-growing kosher and halal markets. (Kosher and halal rules forbid products coloured with carmine.)
The heat- and light-stable colourants are based on lycopene, a carotenoid highly valued for its antioxidant health benefits. Tomat-O-Red is sourced strictly from non-GMO tomatoes.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024