Chr Hansen A/S : ​Chr. Hansen launches a new FruitMax® blue

Press Release | Sep 04. 2020 07:11 GMT

Putting a patent-pending solution on the global market that is uniquely robust for hard candy and lozenges

Blue is a popular color for fruit flavors like blueberry or fun flavors like bubble gum and blue raspberry, whereas most colored mint lozenges benefit from a blue blend to achieve flavors like wintergreen and cool mint.

Blue, however, is notoriously scarce in the natural color palette and there is only one globally accepted natural source of blue color. It comes from spirulina, also well-known in the food supplement market as a 'super food.' Stable in many applications, standard spirulina formulations meet their match in the tough production conditions of boiled candy. If manufacturers with global ambitions can't use spirulina, their only option may be artificial colors.

Protecting the color during boiling
This technical challenge is now solved with the global launch of FruitMax® Blue 1506 WS from Chr. Hansen Natural Colors. The Chr. Hansen R&D and application team have developed a unique, liquid blue that protects the color in that instant it hits the extremely hot candy mass.

'Some of the best spirulina-based products, until now, needed to be pre-dispersed at production, which can be messy, difficult and inefficient for the producers,' explains Lotte Jeppesen, Global Industry Business Manager, Confectionery. 'We have seen a built-up demand for precisely this product - it's an easy and convenient solution for all types of boiled sweets, and it performs well in both sugar-free and sugar-based applications.'

The fact is, even in sugar-based categories, manufacturers win with natural and cleaner formulations. Hard candy is perhaps the most price-sensitive confectionery category, but also in this segment, consumers are increasingly wanting natural and healthy ingredients; in even their most indulgent moments.

'We are excited to put a product on the market that caters to this need. Our new patent-pending solution will be especially appealing to health conscious brands using other natural ingredients, like menthol in lozenges,' concludes Jeppesen.

Chr. Hansen is the only provider of natural colors that combines 140 years of unique application and regulatory expertise with a strong, extensive global presence and the widest natural color portfolio in the industry, bringing ideas, expertise and solutions - from the first product brief to the supermarket shelves.

The world leader, Chr. Hansen Natural Colors helps manufacturers bring safe and appetizing products to consumers at mealtimes - and any time in between. Our deep insights about markets, regulatory requirements, applications, pigments and phytonutrients place us at the forefront of the industry. Our color portfolio is the largest and most vibrant in the food industry, and our nutraceutical range has scientifically supported health benefits. We are part of Chr. Hansen Holding, known for our sustainability profile and our natural ingredient solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen, we employ over 3,000 people in 30 countries.

Chr. Hansen is a leading, global bioscience company that develops natural solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. We develop and produce cultures, enzymes, probiotics and natural colors for a rich variety of foods, confectionery, beverages, dietary supplements, animal feed, and plant protection. Our product innovation is based on around 40,000 microbial strains - we like to refer to them as 'good bacteria'. Our solutions enable food manufacturers to produce more with less - while also reducing the use of chemicals and other synthetic additives - which makes our products highly relevant in today's world. Sustainability is an integral part of Chr. Hansen's vision to improve food and health. In 2019 Chr. Hansen was ranked as the world's most sustainable company by Corporate Knights thanks to our strong sustainability efforts and our many collaborative partnerships with our customers. We have been delivering value to our partners - and, ultimately, end consumers worldwide - for over 145 years. We are proud that more than one billion people consume products containing our natural ingredients every day. Chr. Hansen was founded in 1874 and is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen.