What is LINABLUE®?
Top Quality Blue Spirulina Extract
Spirulina Extract is a natural blue pigment of phycocyanin derived from spirulina. It can be used as a natural food colorant as well as a functional food ingredient. LINABLUE® is the perfect solution for companies who want to switch to natural colors. LINABLUE® is a vivid sky blue shade most similar to Brilliant Blue FD&C #1. When combined with red, yellow, and other natural colorants, it is possible to obtain green, purple, and other natural colors. Unlike artificial colorants, there is no blue tongue as LINABLUE® has no dyeing effect. If you're currently working with a color house, please ask about using LINABLUE®
History of Blue Spirulina Extract - LINABLUE®
Since 1976, Earthrise has grown the world’s purest Spirulina in the southeastern California desert. In 1981, Earthrise developed a partnership with a Japanese company, Dainippon Ink and Chemicals (DIC). Today, our Spirulina farm is the world’s largest, and together with our sister company’s farm in China, DIC group is the largest spirulina producer in the world. With our top quality spirulina, we are also the leading producer of spirulina extract, a natural blue food colorant approved for use by the FDA. We currently have production facilities in California and Hainan, China with expansion already underway.
The FDA first approved Spirulina Extract as a food additive in 2013 for applications in gum and candy. In 2014, the list expanded to frosting, ice cream and frozen desserts, dessert coatings and toppings, beverage mixes and powders, yogurts, custards, puddings, cottage cheese, gelatin, breadcrumb, and ready-to-eat cereals (excluding extruded cereals.) In 2015, coatings in dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals were also approved and the applications just continue to grow. LINABLUE® is the perfect global solution because it is the only approved natural blue colorant in the US, Europe, and Asia.
The natural color market has exploded within the last few years as major food companies announced their switch from artificial ingredients to all natural. Consumers are becoming more aware and educated about what they put in their bodies and are demanding for the food and beverage industry to change and keep up with the clean label movement.