Why Our Strawberry Shakes Aren't Pink

Pops of color make everything more fun, right? Turns out, that might not always be the case.  

Color additives are any color that’s added to food. Regardless of if the color comes from a synthetic, man-made dye or a dye from a natural source, like a red beet or juice from an orange, if it’s not originally found in the food, may be classified as a color additive.  

In this article, we’re going to discuss the difference between two different kinds of color additives: food dyes from natural sources and industrial food dyes, and what to know about each of them. 

Defining food dyes from natural sources vs. certified colors. 

Food dyes from natural sources are colors that are made from plant and mineral sources, like beets, purple sweet potatoes, saffron, carrots, etc.  

Foods like cereals, candies, pastries, desserts, packaged snacks, and even dairy products can often contain one or more colored dyes to catch your eye. However, note that not every processed food contains industrial dyes — some food companies make it their mission to color their foods with food dyes from natural sources instead. 

Color additives add color to foods so that they may look more appetizing, however in almost all cases they don’t contribute additional nutrients. 

Examples of food dyes from natural sources.  

One of the most beautiful parts of nature is that it gives us so much of what we need and also much of what we want, including vibrant colors! Colors are found naturally in food, though some are more potent than others. Food dyes from natural sources tend to be a little less bright than industrial-grade dyes, so the red color you get from a beet might be more muted than something from an industrial-grade food dye like Red No. 40. Here are some examples of foods and spices that might be used as food dyes from natural sources: 

• Pink: strawberries, raspberries, hibiscus  

• Red: beets, tomato, paprika 

• Orange: smoked paprika, carrots, sweet potato 

• Yellow: saffron, turmeric 

• Green: spinach, matcha 

• Blue: cornflowers, red cabbage, blue corn 

• Purple: blueberries, purple sweet potato 

• Brown: coffee, tea, cocoa 

• Black: activated charcoal 

Most-used industrial food dyes. 

 The six most commonly used industrial food dyes will appear on a food label like this:

• Blue No. 1 

• Blue No. 2 

• Red No. 3 

• Red No. 40 

• Yellow No. 5 

• Yellow No. 6 

Finding food dyes on labels.  

You might be wondering, how do food dyes show up on a food label? Excellent question! We know that reading nutrition labels can sometimes be difficult, but we’re here to help. Food labels are required by the FDA to list the names of any industrial dye, like Blue No. 1 or Red No. 40. Disclosing these dyes on ingredient lists can help those who wish to avoid certain dyes do so more easily. The FDA declares that dyes from natural sources, such as vegetables, fruits, or minerals, are “exempt” from color certification, unlike Yellow No. 5 for example, but are still required to be declared within the ingredient declaration. So instead of seeing Yellow No. 5, you might just see “color added” with the color source in parenthesis: (red beet powder) or (organic black currant extracts).  

Why aren’t our strawberry shakes pink?  

While there are natural options for food dyes, like the ones mentioned above, we decided that we didn’t want to add something to our shakes that we simply didn’t need.   Red dye is just that: red dye. It’s an added color with no added benefits or taste. Kate Farms’ strawberry shakes are made from natural organic strawberry flavor, which does not turn our drink pink. We resolved that we would rather have a delicious shake with ingredients we’re proud of than a drink with color additives that stops you in your tracks. 

Our shakes are designed for more than just what meets the eye. Kate Farms is much more concerned about your well-being and using high-quality ingredients than creating a drink with an artificial pop of color. Our commitment remains to create drinks with ingredients that nourish and taste that keep you coming back. Don’t judge a flavor by its color!  

Quick recap:  

• Food dyes from natural sources are made from natural sources, typically from vegetables, fruits, minerals, or flowers. 

• Industrial dyes will be labeled with their specific name on food labels, such as Red No. 40, Blue No. 1, or Yellow No. 5. 

• Certified food dyes do not provide additional nutrients to foods.

Resources: 

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Color Additives History. Updated 2017.  

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary of Color Additives for Use in the United States in Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices. Updated 2022. 

• Code of Federal Regulations. Foods, labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings, and chemical preservatives. Updated 2016.