Purple corn natural food dye breakthrough

Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a natural food colorant derived from a South American variety of purple corn. The colorant is rich in anthocyanins, pigments that provide color and antioxidant benefits. Unlike many natural dyes, the purple corn colorants demonstrated high stability under heat, acidic conditions, and prolonged storage, retaining about 75% of key color compounds after one hour of heat exposure and nearly 97% when coated with protective food-grade materials. The team, led by Pavel Somavat, also tested the colorants in beverages, showing minimal color loss after seven weeks of refrigerated storage. In collaboration with Sherry Flint-Garcia of the United States — United States Department of Agriculture, researchers are crossbreeding purple corn with varieties suited to the United States — Corn Belt to enable domestic production. The findings were published in the journal NPJ Science of Food. This development offers food manufacturers a viable natural alternative to artificial dyes like Red No. 40 and Red No. 3, potentially leading to cleaner labels and new revenue streams for farmers.