What is the use of phycocyanin in food?

Phycocyanin is a dark blue powder separated from Spirulina. It is mainly found in cyanobacteria, red algae and cryptophyceae. Phycocyanin is usually divided into C-phycocyanin and R-phycocyanin. The former is mainly found in cyanobacteria, while the latter is mainly found in red algae. Cryptophyceae has both. Its function is to absorb light (orange-yellow) energy and transmit light energy. It is both a protein and an excellent natural food pigment, and also a good health food.

In Europe, phycocyanin is used as a coloring food ingredient with unlimited use. In countries such as China, the United States, Japan and Mexico, phycocyanin is used as a blue source for various foods and beverages. It is also used as a coloring agent for nutritional supplements and medicines, with the added amount ranging from 0.4g-40g/kg, depending on the color depth required for the food.

As a natural pigment, phycocyanin has been widely used in food and cosmetics in Europe, America, Japan and other countries and regions since the beginning of the 21st century. Phycocyanin is a natural blue pigment approved by the US FDA and is also included in the EU’s colored food raw materials. There is currently no restriction on its use. my country’s GB2760 food additive catalog also lists phycocyanin as a natural colorant, allowing it to be used in candies, fruit and vegetable juices, flavored beverages, jellies and other products.

Data shows that the global natural food pigment market was estimated at $3.88 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach a compound annual growth rate of 5.7% to $5.12 billion by 2023. Compared with synthetic food pigments, natural food pigments provide more options for food processors, and many artificial pigment suppliers have turned to the development of natural pigments.

Currently, in addition to the sharp increase in demand for natural red pigments and natural yellow pigments, the market capacity of natural blue pigments is also very huge worldwide. The global market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 50% from 2016 to 2020. If phycocyanin is added to an aqueous solution, it can present a clear sky blue color, so it is favored by companies.

Nestle’s classic candy-Smarties

In 2010, Nestlé tried to use spirulina extract as the source of blue in Smarties, but due to regulatory restrictions, this attempt was not brought to the market. In 2013, food giants such as Mars and Nestlé submitted applications to the FDA for permission to use spirulina extract as a food colorant. As regulations progress, Nestlé completely replaced FD&C Blue No.1 (Brilliant Blue) in Smarties with phycocyanin as the source of blue in candies. Now, in most countries such as Europe and Singapore, consumers can taste Smarties blue candies colored with phycocyanin.

Walls

There are many delicious secrets hidden in every Yummies ice cream from Wall’s: juicy fudge, gluten-free, no artificial colors, and natural flavors.

In addition to Yummies, Wall’s also launched Paddle Pop Twister Mermaid, Paddle Pop Rainbow, and Wall’s Classic Paddle Pop Rainbow, all of which contain spirulina extract as the source of blue.

HERSHEY’s cookies mint – the charm of using phycocyanin

HERSHEY is one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. Hershey’s Cookies Mint was first launched in 1994 and has been discontinued many times before returning in 2020.

Hershey did not make the chocolate a radical blue, but chose to use phycocyanin and turmeric to make it green, which also caters to the taste of this chocolate – mint. A piece of blue mint-flavored chocolate would obviously make people feel strange.

Phycocyanin, a rare blue pigment among natural pigments, has become a common natural coloring source in food after nearly a decade of application in the European and American markets. Not only food giants such as Mars, Nestlé, Unilever, and Coca-Cola, but also many small and medium-sized enterprises use phycocyanin as a source of blue, green, and even purple in their products.

Studies have shown that phycocyanin can remove free radicals. As a natural antioxidant, phycocyanin can help remove cell damage and aging caused by harmful free radicals in the body.

Phycocyanin is a collagen-like protein with whitening, moisturizing and other effects. Some cosmetic brands at home and abroad have applied phycocyanin raw materials to their customized cosmetic products.

In addition, because phycocyanin has fluorescent properties, its fluorescence effect is 30 times that of ordinary fluorescein, and it can be used as a photosensitizer in some photodynamics such as biology and cytology. At the same time, as a photosensitive protein, phycocyanin can also significantly promote plant photosynthesis and produce photosensitivity reactions, thus making the product antiviral.

In the future, when the power of plants and health needs are increasingly valued, the potential of algae will inevitably receive attention and more power will be injected into it. At the same time, it is more important to achieve more rigorous scientific research on algae and breakthroughs in algae production and development technology. Only by improving scientific research and technology can the potential of algae be truly brought into play.