China standardizes plant-based coloring foods, clarifying labeling and production method rules

China has introduced an official industry standard for coloring foods, providing clear production, use, and labeling guidelines. It applies to all F&B manufacturers in the country and addresses issues including technical requirements, inspection rules, packaging, storage, and transportation of coloring food ingredients.

The standard, titled “Coloring Food Ingredients for the Food Industry,” was developed by the China National Food Industry Association (CNFIA), China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Exberry colors supplier GNT Group, and other industry stakeholders. The rules come into effect this month.

According to GNT, coloring foods are plant-based, edible concentrates used to give color to food, drinks, and supplements, and were first developed by the company in 1978.

China’s standard stipulates that these must be made from fruits, vegetables, plants, or algae commonly eaten as foods. These concentrates must be produced only through physical processing methods without chemical solvents.

Additionally, unlike most natural coloring solutions, coloring foods must retain the main properties of the raw materials, such as color, taste, and nutritional value.

Ingredients, not additives

Under the revised guidelines, coloring foods will now be classified as ingredients rather than additives due to their production method.

GNT notes that they qualify for clean and clear product labels, allowing F&B manufacturers to mention the coloring characteristic and the function, such as “carrot coloring ingredient.”

“This industrial standard is an important step forward for Coloring Foods and a great achievement for getting regulatory clarity for the Chinese market,” says Silke Fallah, head of Global Regulatory Affairs at GNT.

Previously, Chinese manufacturers followed a voluntary guideline issued by the CNFIA in 2017. The Dutch color supplier says that while the standard was widely recognized, it lacked industry endorsement. The new standard comes after a proposal was submitted by the CNFIA in 2019, which was approved for development by authorities in 2020.

Andreas Thiede, APAC general manager for GNT, says: “Coloring foods are becoming increasingly popular in China as consumers seek cleaner labels, so we’re delighted that they now have official industry recognition. Our plant-based Exberry color portfolio includes a complete spectrum of coloring foods fully compliant with the new standard.”

Meanwhile, experts in the color industry recently told us that amid regulatory shifts in the synthetic colors category, the emotional connection is often stronger with natural colors, which can be observed in regional preferences for specific beverage colors.

While ingredients like acai and dragon fruit are popular in the US and EU, Japanese consumers prefer products inspired by the citrus yellow of the lemon and the soft pink of the Sakura.