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Natural colour producer Oterra has expanded its portfolio with the launch of liquid formats for its Jungle Blue and Arctic Blue natural colours. Previously available only in powder format, the two naturally sourced liquid colours provide food and beverage manufacturers with alternative processing options to achieve bright blues, greens, and purples.

The development addresses a changing regulatory and consumer landscape where the demand for naturally derived blue alternatives to synthetic dyes is steadily increasing.

Liquid Formulation

The introduction of liquid formats is designed to simplify industrial processing and handling for manufacturers. According to Oterra, liquid colours offer several operational advantages over powder alternatives:

• Immediate Dispersion – Liquids mix instantly to produce a uniform, consistent colour across the batch without requiring a pre-mixing phase.

• Improved Material Handling – The pumpable nature of liquid formulations allows for automated dosing and integration into closed production systems.

• Dust Elimination – Eliminating powders reduces airborne dust in the processing environment, helping operators maintain clean manufacturing facilities.

Product Formulations

The expanded range includes liquid versions of two of the company’s recent natural blue innovations:

🌴 ColorFruit® Blue 901 WS Jungle Blue – Extracted from sustainable Colombian Jagua fruit, this formulation addresses common stability challenges by performing reliably in low-pH environments and under high-temperature processing. It can be blended with other natural shades to create vivid, jewel-tone purples and greens.

❄️ FruitMax® Blue 1512 WS Arctic Blue – A vivid blue derived from spirulina. The ingredient is cultivated in a high-tech, carbon-neutral indoor bioreactor facility in Iceland, located adjacent to a geothermal power plant. The facility utilises 100% clean energy, waste heat, and captured carbon dioxide to cultivate the spirulina around the clock.

The launch aligns with a marked increase in the utilization of blue shades across global food and beverage categories. Market data reveals that blue has become one of the fastest-growing colour segments in the industry.

In 2025, more than 10,000 food and beverage products were launched globally containing a blue colour, representing a substantial increase from approximately 6,000 product launches recorded in 2021.

Historically, the majority of vibrant blue hues in commercial food products have been achieved through artificial colouring agents. However, shifting consumer preferences and tightening regulatory guidelines are driving manufacturers to seek stable, high-performance natural alternatives. Having multiple natural blue options in both liquid and powder formats allows food scientists to select the optimal solution based on the specific pH, temperature, and texture requirements of their product base.