2 December 2025
Blog Article
December 8, 2025
Never say dye : in the race to replace azo dyes, we have a clear favorite
For North American manufacturers, the clock is ticking on the use of azo dyes - the collective term used to describe a family of synthetic dyes used in food and beverages.
A nationwide FDA ban on Red No. 3 comes into force in January 2027, but there are now approximately 50 different legislative bills either signed or in progress targeting a total of nine different azo dyes; some are state-wide, while others relate to specific groups like children.
While this landscape is ever changing, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that if you use azo dyes in your beverages…you need to change, and fast.
Finding viable alternatives to azo dyes in beverages is, however, easier said than done.
- The replacement color needs to be functional and highly stable.
- It needs to match the pre-existing hue - deliver the color that consumers know and love.
- The replacement color needs to be formulated in a precise yet fast and (cost) efficient way.
- And of course, it needs to be sustainable and free of the regulatory concerns associated with azo dyes.
The good news? In the race to replace azo dyes in North America, we have a clear favorite: dsm-firmenich and our portfolio of Vibelly™, nature-inspired colors. So, let’s look at the challenges and their solutions in more detail.
Introducing the nature-inspired alternative
Our Vibelly™ Color Solutions are a vibrant range of nature-inspired and highly stable carotenoids available in vivid hues from yellow to red.
But what really sets them apart is that they are produced via either fermentation or synthesis in a highly controlled environment, which makes them exempt from U.S. regulatory certification. In other words, the time-consuming batch certification required by the FDA for artificial colorants used in beverages since the 1970s is not required when you use our color solutions.
Fast formulation
While using Vibelly™ Color Solutions unlocks valuable time savings in batch certification, the re-formulation of azo-free beverages has traditionally presented challenges: in terms of the replacement color being used and the application expertise behind it.
Because Vibelly™ colors are produced in a highly controlled and predictable environment there are no such challenges. They are always available, with robust supply chain resilience; and they deliver true batch-to-batch consistency, supported by extensive formulation expertise that starts with custom laboratory testing to get the color matching precise.
For example, Sunset Yellow (E110) used in beverages can be replaced by our Vibelly™ B-Carotene 7% CWS. Another great example is the seamless replacement of Red 40 in gummies, with Vibelly™ Canthaxanthin 10% CWS/S.
But it’s not just about precision color matching. Our expertise also extends further, through intensive application testing aimed at avoiding common challenges like fading, shift & drifting, staining, creaming, ring formation and flocculation. Importantly, this stability is also analyzed over the new formulation’s entire shelf life to ensure that it delivers for consumers.
Regulatory rigor
Speaking of consumers, the clean-label claim “free from artificial ingredients1” is now the most popular among North American consumers when buying products.
But when it comes to Making America Healthy Again, there is an urgency for re-formulation. At dsm-firmenich, our regulatory team has an in-depth understanding of the ever-changing national (and indeed global) regulatory landscape.
So, if you need a trusted partner to help you navigate this complex landscape and deliver the appetizing, safe, sustainable and nature-inspired colors that your customers increasingly demand, we would be delighted to share our knowledge with you.
References
- 75% of consumer across North America either agree or strongly agree that it is important that food and drink products do not contain artificial colors.
https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/from-fruits-to-botanicals-natural-color-solutions-appeal-to-
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