Betanin is a water-soluble natural colour pigment mainly sourced from red beet. Like anthocyanins, this naturally occurring pigment has a vivid colour and usually used for fuchsia series of colours. Redbeet gives a brilliant pink tone to the application and is ideally used in cold and instant beverage applications. The fuchsia series of colours can be associated with flavours like strawberry, rose sherbets etc.

Beetroot juice contains up to 70% sugar and 0.5% betanin pigment. It is pasteurised to reduce micro-organisms. Usually colour content is increased by fermenting the juice and removing the alcohol during concentration. Beetroot juice is also spray dried on to a carrier to produce betanin powder. It’s a strong colour hence low dosages are sufficient in final application.

A natural colour pigment, betanin is used in food and beverage colour applications. Redbeet juice concentrates are ideally used for cold applications like ice creams, yoghurts, frozen desserts and instant beverages. This depends on the regulation in the respective region and whether the redbeet is in liquid or powder format.