Village Vanguard in Japan is now selling naturally tinted blue chocolate that gets its distinctive hue from a Natural Blue Apple Jam that is sourced from the Aomori prefecture.
Although Village Vanguard admits that it encountered challenges getting the chocolate to accept the color since the jam is translucent, the addition of blue-colored herbs created the desired results. Across the food and beverage industry, there are now a number of products that integrate the butterfly pea flower for its uniquely bold and natural blue hue.
In the last year, the ruby chocolate has been identified as the fourth kind of chocolate—alongside white, milk and dark varieties. Although consumers are used to seeing confectionery products that are artificially colored, these kinds of innovations appeal to those who are seeking out cleaner, simpler alternatives that can be sourced from nature.
Image Credit: BIGLOBE
What's Driving This Trend
- Natural Coloration
- The trend of using natural pigments in food products, such as blue apple jam and butterfly pea flowers, creates opportunities for innovative coloration techniques.
- Alternative Chocolate Varieties
- The introduction of ruby chocolate as a new kind of chocolate alongside white, milk, and dark varieties inspires opportunities for the development of other alternative chocolate flavors.
- Clean Label Confectionery
- The desire for cleaner, simpler ingredients in food products drives innovation in the confectionery industry, such as using natural pigments to color chocolate and other treats.
Who This Affects Most
- Food and Beverage
- The food and beverage industry can explore opportunities to use natural colorants in a variety of products, from confectionery to beverages.
- Chocolate Production
- Chocolate manufacturers can innovate by creating new variations of chocolate, such as those using natural pigments or incorporating different flavors.
- Natural Pigment Suppliers
- Suppliers of natural pigments, such as butterfly pea flowers or blue apple jam, can explore opportunities to collaborate with food and beverage companies to enhance coloration in their products.
