DDW, “The Color House,” introduces a food color powder derived from a purple corn hybrid cultivated in the US. The non-GM powder exhibits a deep purple surface shade; the appearance is vibrant red in an acidic aqueous system.

Food and beverage companies can simply list “purple corn juice color” or “colored with vegetable juice” on ingredient statements. DDW’s customers benefit from the innovative color’s safe, sustainable, traceable and transparent supply chain.

Campbell Barnum, Vice President, DDW, Louisville, spoke: “The purple corn is cultivated, extracted and dried into powder in the US. Sampling is available from DDW’s natural coloring manufacturing site in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He adds: It's available only in the US at the moment.”

According to Barnum, 72% of food and beverage launches in North America with added food color contain naturally derived color. “Consumer preference has driven the percentage to that height despite a formulation cost premium. Unlike most of the (imported) vegetable juices used for coloring, the purple corn color is sourced in the U.S,” he explains.

Prior to spray drying, DDW employs a simple water extraction of the purple corn kernels at its manufacturing facility in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Powder (and liquid) samples are available. Applications for the anthocyanin coloring include dry beverage mix, salad dressing mix, extruded breakfast cereal and nutritional supplements.

“Our customers prefer documented control from seed to sale, and we’re extending our portfolio from a domestic crop that’s a sustainable, scalable source of color,” said Elaine Gravatte, president and chief operating officer, DDW Inc.

DDW’s (liquid) purple corn color received the NEXTY award for “Best New Ingredient” at Natural Products Expo West in 2016. DDW will feature the innovation at the 2017 IFT Food Expo in Las Vegas.