LycoRed introduces natural surimi colourant

Israel-based nutraceutical ingredients company LycoRed has developed a tomato lycopene formulation for use as a natural colourant in surimi applications.

The formulation enables food companies to comply with the current trend of using natural, vegetarian colourants instead of artificial colourants. While carmine, a red colourant extracted from cochineal insects, is commonly used in the production of surimi, there has been growing concern over allergy risks among consumers, which has made it a less desirable colourant for food manufacturers.

LycoRed said that it developed the natural and vegetarian colourant to address the food industry’s need for a safe, natural representation of surimi’s unique, vivid red colour.

LycoRed colour and flavour global commercial manager Roee Nir said that surimi manufacturers have been trying to replace carmine with another colour source for a long time. "Our tomato lycopene colourant allows food and beverage manufacturers to achieve the precise colour shade they want without compromising flavour or stability, or experiencing migration and colour changes that other natural colourants tend to have," Nir added.

The tomato lycopene formulation maintains stability even during the surimi production process and through the complete product shelf-life. Similar to carmine, LycoRed’s formulation can blend with other colours such as paprika, allowing manufactures to achieve the right shade for the local surimi market.

According to Innova Market Insights, the use of the word natural is particularly widespread in the US and UK markets, and a trend away from artificial colours has been observed in the UK market over the last two years.

Surimi, a fish-based food product, is popular in Asian countries as well as in the US, with about 2-3% of global fisheries supply being used in the production of surimi and surimi-based products.