Red Beet is simply expressed from red beets (Beta vulgaris) to provide the pigment known as Betanin, which is in the Betalain pigment classification. Red Beet is water soluble and is available in both powder and liquid market forms.
Red Beet is used mostly for applications with low water activity, such as ice cream or frozen desserts, dry mixes, and some confectionary applications. It provides bright bluish red to pink shades in application.
Applications
Frozen Desserts
Yogurt
Water Ices
Ice Cream
Confectionery
Dry Mixes
Nutraceutical Mixes
Carmine is sourced primarily in Latin America, in Peru mostly, and has been used historically for applications like coloring textiles, pottery, cosmetics, and of course also for coloring foods. The colorant is extracted from the female cochineal insect, Dactylopius coccus costa, and lives only on the prickly pear cactus, Opuntia ficus indica. The colonies of insects are pictured as white patches on the cacti. The coloring component is Carminic Acid.
Carmine and Cochineal Extract are able to provide bright and stable shades, ranging from orange to deep reds and magenta, to even purple shades, depending on the application. Carmine is the only FDA approved Exempt Color lake. The Carmine lake can be further converted to various water soluble versions, to be used for a wide range of water based applications. Carmine and Cochineal Extract are available in a wide range of powder, dispersion and liquid forms.
While it is one of the most stable natural colors available in the world, Carmine and Cochineal Extract are often the topic of interesting conversation, due to being sourced and extracted from an insect which grows and colonizes on the cacti. Even today, the cochineal are harvested by hand. While the sourcing is labor intensive, the source itself is very rich in the Carminic Acid colorant and the extraction is very straightforward, typically only requiring water based methods.
Applications
Dairy
Yogurt
Fruit Preparations
Confectionery
Prepared Foods
Bakery
Icings
Sauces
Surimi
Beverages
Cosmetics