Processing Colors

Is it possible to make organic food colors from organically produced crops?

By Brian Baker

Yes. A number of common fruits and vegetables are used to add color to various foods. These include beets, blueberries, radishes, pumpkins, carrots, grapes and cabbage. In addition, some more exotic crops such as annatto, aronia, hibiscus, turmeric and saffron are also used, sometimes grown specifically for use as a coloring agent. 

Organic producers and handlers should be aware that there are technical requirements in growing crops for use as a coloring agent that are different from those for growing for fresh market or processing. Varieties are often bred and selected for color rather than flavor, yield, or shelf life. For example, the grape varieties used for color are high in anthocyanins, which produce a dark red color. Also, crops grown for use as coloring agents generally need to be harvested at maximum ripeness and close to the processing facility, and the crops must be processed immediately to yield the most color. The processing and handling of these crops need to comply with organic standards when grown for the organic market, using only processing aids and ingredients that are either organically produced or present on the National List, and using appropriate mechanical or physical means for extraction.

While there are certified organic food coloring agents commercially available, given the technical requirements described above, there is a set of nonorganic food coloring agents allowed in products labeled as “organic.” These coloring agents are deemed necessary to produce organic products at a given moment in time. For the current list of nonorganic coloring agents allowed in products labeled as “organic” see §205.606(d). The National List is designed in such a way that when organic options eventually become commercially available, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) can recommend the removal of these nonorganic options currently allowed by the National List to the National Organic Program (NOP). This is known as the Sunset Process. Examples of previously allowed nonorganic coloring agents that are no longer on the National List include: annatto extract, black currant juice, blueberry juice, carrot juice, cheery juice, grape juice, paprika and pumpkin juice.

This article originally appeared in the spring 2007 issue of the OMRI Materials Review newsletter, and was revised in October 2022 by Technical Director Doug Currier.