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Natural ingredients and systems manufacturer Döhler has expanded its international colour processing network through dual capital investments across its manufacturing facilities in Türkiye and Mexico.
The investment programme integrates new extraction, concentration, drying, and milling technologies into the company's established manufacturing site in Karaman, Türkiye, while accelerating the development of dedicated natural colour production lines at its newly commissioned industrial complex in the State of Mexico.
The phased scale-up is engineered to address rising commercial demand for clean-label, plant-based colouring solutions across food and beverage manufacturing. By establishing specialised technical processing lines across multiple trading zones, the ingredient developer aims to shorten lead times, insulate supply chains, and support customer product launches from laboratory concept design through to industrial-scale manufacturing.
"Colour plays an essential role in the sensory experience of food and beverages, but our customers need more than a broad portfolio. They need solutions that can be developed efficiently, produced reliably and scaled across markets," said Jakob Schjoerring-Thyssen, Global Head of Business Unit Colours at Döhler.
"By expanding our capabilities in Türkiye and Mexico, we are bringing additional capacity, technology and production expertise closer to our customers and creating an even stronger platform for future colour innovation."
Processing Technology Expansion in Türkiye
At its primary production facility in Karaman, Türkiye, Döhler is executing an infrastructure investment programme implemented in phases throughout 2026, with final operational commissioning targeted for the end of the year.
The Karaman development introduces advanced technical equipment designed to handle varied natural pigment matrices and physical delivery formats:
🥕 Anthocyanin and Betanin Pigment Extraction: Significantly expands processing capacity for black carrot and beetroot raw materials, delivering vibrant red and purple natural colour solutions. The site has integrated dedicated resin columns alongside a new industrial evaporator to refine liquid colour concentrates.
💨 Powder and Spray Drying Lines: Installs high-capacity spray drying equipment to scale up natural colour powder production volumes.
⚙️ Jet Mill Micronisation: Integrates advanced jet mill technology to expand micronisation capacity, producing ultra-fine pigment particles calibrated for uniform dispersion in low-moisture applications.
🌰 Roasting and Brown Colourants: Adds a dedicated roasting unit to manufacture natural brown colourants from botanical sources.
🥣 Ball Mill Colour Suspensions: Features a specialised ball mill system engineered to produce high-performance, stable colour suspensions for fat-based and confectionery matrices.
Regional Manufacturing Footprint in Mexico
Complementing the technological installations in Türkiye, Döhler is advancing the construction of dedicated natural colour production facilities at its manufacturing campus in the State of Mexico.
Located within the Arco 57 Industrial Park in San Francisco Soyaniquilpan de Juárez, the Mexican site commenced operations with its initial phase in July 2026, functioning as a regional hub for science, technology, natural ingredient development, and integrated food systems.
The second-phase buildout introduces local colour production units directly serving food and beverage processors across Mexico, Latin America, and North America. Localising production and technical applications close to regional customer accounts enables the business to reduce international freight exposure, shorten distribution timelines, and develop formulations compliant with regional food additives legislation. The site also leverages local agricultural sourcing networks to secure raw material supplies.
Implications for Natural Colour Sourcing
The concurrent investments reflect an ongoing transformation across the commercial colours sector, where consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand owners continue to transition away from synthetic petroleum-derived dyes in favour of clean-label botanical alternatives.
However, formulating with natural pigments presents technical challenges for food scientists, including heat sensitivity, photo-oxidation, precipitation, and pH-dependent colour shifts. By pairing advanced extraction and purification hardware in Türkiye with regional processing hubs in the Americas, Döhler provides food processors with a multi-format portfolio spanning liquid concentrates, fine micronised powders, and oil-dispersible suspensions.
The multi-site manufacturing footprint is designed to give multinational food and drink manufacturers operational flexibility, providing verified commercial scale, redundant sourcing, and technical development support to move functional colours into high-volume production lines globally.
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