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Sensient Food Colors has begun a significant expansion of its flagship natural colours facility in St Louis, Missouri, as part of a broader $250 million investment.

The project, dubbed Project Prism, will see the addition of 28,800 square feet of specialised processing and production space to the company’s existing 500,000 square foot site, its largest natural colours plant globally.

Parent company Sensient Technologies said the multi-year investment will also extend beyond infrastructure to include supply chain enhancements and workforce expansion, reflecting accelerating demand for natural alternatives across the US market.

The move comes amid mounting regulatory, consumer, and brand-driven pressure to eliminate synthetic additives from food and beverage formulations, particularly in North America, where reformulation activity has intensified.

Steve Morris, president of Sensient Colors, said: “Sensient has taken a defining role in accelerating the industry's transition to natural colour solutions. We are reinforcing our leadership position by making significant investments in capacity and infrastructure to facilitate the natural colour conversion in the United States.”

The St Louis expansion is being delivered in partnership with Burns & McDonnell and marks a key milestone in Sensient’s long-term capacity roadmap.

Sensient’s investment also reflects the growing complexity of natural colour development, which often requires advanced processing capabilities and tailored formulations to match the stability and vibrancy of synthetic alternatives.

By scaling production capacity and investing in proprietary technologies, the company aims to support manufacturers navigating reformulation challenges while maintaining product consistency and shelf appeal.