Fruit juice color
Fruit juice color suppliers and sourcing guide
Fruit juice colors are concentrated juices or water infusions of colorful fruits used to color food. Common sources include elderberry, black currant, aronia, purple grape and cherry, whose color comes mainly from anthocyanins. Suppliers press or infuse the fruit, filter and concentrate the juice, and sell liquid concentrates or dried powders standardized by color value.
- Category
- Colors
- Also known as
- Fruit juice (color) · Coloring foodstuff · Elderberry color · Black currant color · Aronia color
- Facts checked
- November 2026
Forms and grades of fruit juice color
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Liquid concentrate
Juice concentrated to a stated Brix and color value for beverages, fruit preparations, dairy and confectionery.
Powder
Spray-dried juice on a carrier such as maltodextrin for dry mixes and coatings.
Single-fruit colors
Colors from one fruit, for example elderberry, for a specific shade and label name.
Blends
Fruit juices blended with each other or with vegetable juices to hit a target shade.
Organic
Concentrates from organic fruit, offered by several suppliers.
What to check on the COA
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
- Color value
- Anthocyanin color value by absorbance near 520 nm at a set pH, the basis for dose.
- Brix and pH
- Soluble solids and pH; anthocyanin shade moves from red toward purple and blue as pH rises.
- Pesticide residues
- Multi-residue pesticide screen, as for the source fruit.
- Heavy metals
- Lead, arsenic and mercury by ICP-MS, reported against the limits in the color additive regulation and the supplier specification.
- Microbiology
- Total plate count, yeast and mold, coliforms and Salmonella, with yeast and mold counts important for liquid concentrates.
Storage, lots and expiry
Storage and shelf life
Store liquid concentrates cool or refrigerated, sealed and away from light, since anthocyanins fade with heat, light and oxygen. Powders should be kept sealed and dry. Shelf life is set by the supplier specification, with color value retested on aged stock.
Lots and expiry dates
Color value and shade vary with fruit variety, harvest and season, so record color value, Brix and pH per lot and compare shade in the finished product. Rotate stock first-expired, first-out.
Regulatory status
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 73.250 lists fruit juice, expressed from fresh edible fruits or made by water infusion of dried fruit, as a color additive for coloring foods generally, exempt from certification.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 73.250 states the color additive may be concentrated or dried.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 101.22(k)(2) lets color additives that are exempt from certification, unless part 73 requires their own name, be declared on food labels as "Artificial Color," "Artificial Color Added" or "Color Added," or by naming the color.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)
This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Fruit juice color suppliers
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
We are checking fruit juice color suppliers now
Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.
Sell fruit juice color? Request a listingFrequently asked questions
What forms of fruit juice color can brands buy?
Common forms include liquid concentrate, powder, single-fruit colors, blends and organic. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
What should the COA for fruit juice color include?
Expect color value, brix and pH, pesticide residues, heavy metals and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
How should fruit juice color be stored?
Store liquid concentrates cool or refrigerated, sealed and away from light, since anthocyanins fade with heat, light and oxygen. Powders should be kept sealed and dry. Shelf life is set by the supplier specification, with color value retested on aged stock.
What is the regulatory status of fruit juice color?
21 CFR 73.250 lists fruit juice, expressed from fresh edible fruits or made by water infusion of dried fruit, as a color additive for coloring foods generally, exempt from certification. 21 CFR 73.250 states the color additive may be concentrated or dried. 21 CFR 101.22(k)(2) lets color additives that are exempt from certification, unless part 73 requires their own name, be declared on food labels as "Artificial Color," "Artificial Color Added" or "Color Added," or by naming the color.
More colors
- AnnattoAnnatto extract · Bixa orellana
- Caramel colorCaramel · E150a
- Paprika oleoresinPaprika extract · Capsicum annuum
- Turmeric oleoresinTurmeric extract · Curcuma longa
- Carmine (cochineal)Cochineal extract · Carminic acid
- Spirulina extract (color)Phycocyanin · Arthrospira platensis extract
- Vegetable juice colorVegetable juice (color) · Coloring foodstuff
- Butterfly pea flower extractClitoria ternatea extract · Blue pea flower extract
- Beet juice colorBeet red · Beetroot red
- Grape skin extractEnocianina · Grape skin extract (enocianina)
- Carrot oilDaucus carota oil · Carrot oleoresin
- Sodium copper chlorophyllinChlorophyllin-copper complex · Copper chlorophyllin
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