PRESS RELEASE

June 8, 2020

Clean-label colors are key to differentiation in the increasingly competitive plant-based market, according to GNT Group.

The EXBERRY^® Coloring Foods supplier has launched new resources on its website to highlight the importance of color in vegan-friendly meat, dairy, cheese and fish alternatives.

GNT has also produced an animated video charting the rise of plant-based food and drink – as well as the evolution of colors – through recent decades.

With many consumers now reducing or eliminating animal products from their diet ^{1 2} plant-based alternatives are experiencing phenomenal growth in demand.

As of last year, annual global sales of plant-based meat substitutes had grown by an average of 8% annually since 2010. The plant-based beverage market, meanwhile, grew approximately 33% each year between 2014 and 2019.³

With more options on the shelf than ever before, it is vital that plant-based food and drink products deliver a fresh and appealing appearance. In this health- and ethics-driven category, consumers are motivated to demand clean-label, plant-based ingredients.⁴

EXBERRY^® offers the widest range of Coloring Foods on the market, helping to ensure that plant-based meat, dairy, cheese and seafood alternatives deliver the visual impact desired.

In addition, EXBERRY^® Coloring Foods are made from fruit, vegetables and edible plants and without any chemical solvents, ensuring they are 100% vegan-friendly and support clean and clear labelling.

Maike Frerichs, who leads GNT’s plant-based category team, said: “We are heading toward ‘plant-based 2.0’, with manufacturers reformulating their products to meet modern consumer expectations. As such, using plant-based colors for plant-based products has never been more important. EXBERRY^® Coloring Foods offer a future-proof solution, helping to deliver an ideal appearance while maintaining clean and clear labels.”

To learn more about the importance of color in plant-based meat, dairy, cheese and seafood products and watch the animation, visit: https://exberry.com/plant-based

References
​¹ YouGov 'Young Americans less likely to be meat-eaters' (January 2020)
​² YouGov 'Is flexitarianism the diet of the future?' (March 2019)
​³ National Research Council Canada 'Plant-based protein market: Global and Canadian market analysis' (March 2019)
​⁴ Euromonitor International 'The Unstoppable Rise of Plant-Based Alternatives' (March 2020)

END

For more information, contact:
​Richard Clarke, Ingredient Communications
​[email protected] | +44 7766 256176

About EXBERRY^®
​EXBERRY^® is the global market leader in Coloring Foods. The brand is synonymous with high performance color solutions based on the most natural concept of coloring food with food. EXBERRY^® concentrates are manufactured from fruit, vegetables and edible plants using only gentle physical methods such as chopping, boiling and filtering. The brand provides the widest range on the market, comprising more than 400 shades. It is suitable for practically all food and drink, including confectionery, dairy and bakery products, soft and alcoholic beverages and savory applications. The concentrates are valued worldwide for their ease of use, brilliance, performance and the complete vertical integration of the supply chain, which ensures full traceability, price and stock stability. In applying EXBERRY^® products, manufacturers are assured to receive highly professional support ranging from strategic product development to production integration and regulatory advice. EXBERRY^® is the favored color solution used by more than 1,900 food and beverage companies including the leading food and beverage producers in the world.

About GNT
​The GNT Group is a family-owned company pioneering in the creation of specialized, future-proof products from only natural ingredients. It is internationally renowned for its EXBERRY^® portfolio, the leading global brand in Coloring Foods. Founded in 1978, the company offers unparalleled agricultural competence and process-engineering expertise in delivering solutions from fruit, vegetables and edible plants. GNT is headquartered in Mierlo, The Netherlands, and has global reach with customers in 75 countries and offices in North and South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.