Strengthening natural food colour production through targeted plant breeding

Demand for natural food colours is rising globally, driven by consumer interest in transparency, nutrition and sustainable ingredient choices. Denmark has strong capabilities in this field. Active in more than 120 markets, Oterra is one of the world’s leading suppliers of natural food colours.

To meet growing demand efficiently, the company has strengthened each part of its value chain from plant development to final ingredient production.

Oterra has more than doubled pigment concentration in black carrots, reducing land use and resource requirements

A key element of Oterra’s approach is targeted plant breeding. By crossbreeding parent plants and selecting offspring with naturally higher pigment concentrations, Oterra increases pigment yield per hectare. One example is the black carrot, a source of anthocyanins. Through systematic breeding, pigment content in black carrots has been more than doubled, improving productivity on farms and reducing the amount of land, transport and processing capacity needed to achieve the same output.

In addition to plant breeding, Oterra applies a production method known as ‘colouring foodstuff’, in which juice concentrates are produced, instead of being obtained by direct extraction from the plant. This preserves more of the raw material’s original nutritional value, offering additional benefits in the final food product.

The combined approach supports a more resource-efficient production of natural colours. Higher pigment yields reduce the environmental footprint per kilo of colour produced, while tailored natural colourants offer manufacturers a clean-label alternative to synthetic options. By advancing both plant breeding and processing methods, Oterra supports growing demand for natural and sustainably produced food colour solutions.