Fermentalg (Euronext – FALG), the French microalgae expert, announces the launch of the production of the first industrial batches of its natural blue food colorant and a first order received from its partner DDW, a subsidiary of the Givaudan Group, as part of the pre-commercialization of this new natural ingredient resulting from the Blue Origins® program.
This first open order of the 2nd Fermentalg product platform, for a maximum amount of 750 K€, will allow DDW/Givaudan to provide samples to worldwide leaders of food and beverage industries, especially in the beverage sector.
As a reminder, the partnership between Fermentalg and DDW, a subsidiary of the Givaudan Group, was established in June 2020. The first phase of technological development and industrialization was completed in June 2022, after having achieved the technical milestones on schedule.
Since then, Givaudan has started the commercialization phase of the product, under the name Galdieria Blue Extract. The competitive advantage of the product, the only natural blue food colorant stable in an acidic environment and resistant to heat treatment, opens up the sports drinks and confectionery segments, which are looking for alternatives to chemical colorants.
In this pre-commercial phase, Fermentalg has planned up to three production campaigns with a leading German manufacturer, a number that will be adjusted according to the performance and needs of the sales teams. The first production campaign, carried out between early November and January 2023, represents a turnover of €250K. In addition, the regulatory process with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues according to the announced schedule, and market authorization for this natural and sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes is expected in the second half of 2023.
Innovations in Food (& Beverage) Technology is a quarterly magazine distributed globally both in Print and Digital formats. www.innovationsfood.com. Twitter: @Innovfoodtech. Instagram: @innovationsinfoodtechnology. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/terry-prior52
