GNT files petition on safflower yellow color to FDA

DALLAS, NC. — GNT has filed a safflower color additive petition with the US Food and Drug Administration to use safflower-based colors across a range of categories, including beverages, confections, frozen desserts, dairy and non-dairy applications, cereal, soup, dressings, and pickled vegetables.

Color from safflower, an edible plant, may be used to deliver yellow shades, according to GNT, which has a US office in Dallas, NC, and offers a portfolio of Exberry brand colors. Exberry safflower concentrate is recognized as a coloring food in the European Union.

The petition filing comes as food and beverage companies work to replace artificial colors with naturally sourced colors, which would include safflower extract, and as the FDA seeks to phase out petroleum-based synthetic food dyes, including Yellow No. 5 and No. 6, from the nation’s food and beverage supply.

Safflower concentrate, according to GNT, offers technical advantages such as good pH, heat and light stability as well as water-soluble properties that make it relevant for beverages and other applications where a clear yellow appearance is desired.

“This filing marks an important step in a long and rigorous process,” said Jeannette O’Brien, vice president of sales and marketing at GNT USA. “Bringing a new color additive petition to this stage takes deep technical understanding, comprehensive scientific work and careful regulatory preparation to support the safety and intended use of the color. For safflower, that has meant significant investment and nearly a decade of research and safety evaluation.”