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Biotech start-ups Phytolon and Ginkgo Bioworks have announced the successful completion of the second development milestone in their multi-product collaboration to produce natural food colours.

The collaboration was initiated in 2022, involving the development of yeast strains to produce two natural colour solutions. The start-ups aim to offer the food industry vibrant and fully functional replacements for synthetic dyes amid increasing concerns around the health impacts of artificial colourants and other additives.

Ginkgo Bioworks, based in the US, offers a horizontal platform for cell programming, providing end-to-end services for organisations in food and agriculture as well as pharmaceutials, speciality chemicals and more. Meanwhile, Phytolon, headquartered in Israel, focuses on offering natural, clean label food colours through fermentation of baker’s yeast.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already banned the Red No 3 dye due to research linking the colourant to cancer in laboratory rats.

Since the ban was announced earlier this year, Health and Human Services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has continued to prioritise the removal of synthetic colours, with FDA commissioner Marty Makary announcing an initiative to eliminate them from the US food supply by the end of 2026, if not sooner.

Phytolon and Ginkgo achieved the first development milestone in their partnership early last year, unlocking the entire purple-to-yellow spectrum.

Ginkgo leveraged its AI modeling expertise and high-throughput screening platform to deliver yeast strains with nearly three times higher production efficiency, enabling Phytolon to develop formulations that successfully addressed the desired colouring standards in multiple food categories including baked goods, snacks, seasonings, toppings and icings, confectionery, yogurts, ice creams and frozen novelties.

The improved production efficiency drives a significant reduction in the production costs and carbon footprint. According to Phytolon, its fermentation-based manufacturing process requires less energy and capital investment to reach high colouring efficiency compared with benchmark natural colours that rely on farming and extensive post-processing.

Phytolon's ‘Beetroot Red’ and ‘Prickly Pear Yellow’ colour solutions are expected to be available to the US market soon, following approval by the FDA.

Upon meeting the second development milestone, Ginkgo will receive additional equity in Phytolon. This aims to pave the way for follow-up projects that can bring new benefits to both companies in their growing partnership.

Wissam Mansour, Phytolon’s chief product officer, commented: “This is an unprecedented opportunity. The vibrant colours Phytolon is now poised to deliver to customers will allow the food industry to explore the full potential of natural and healthy beet and prickly pear pigments that have never before been readily available with such purity and quality.”

Top image: © Phytolon