At Oterra, black carrot is more than a raw material. It’s the result of advanced agronomy, plant breeding, and color expertise, to deliver stronger color, better stability, and greater cost efficiency for food and beverage manufacturers.

Strong performance at low pH

The coloring power of black carrot comes from naturally occurring anthocyanins. In low‑pH applications such as soft drinks, candies, and fruit preparations, these anthocyanins create vivid color that remains stable to both heat and light. This makes black carrot especially well-suited to hot-filled, pasteurized, and shelf-stable products where color consistency and longevity matters.

More than one shade

While black carrot is well known for its classic purple-red tone, it can offer deliver far more options, depending on formulation and application. You can get:

• Confident bright pinks

• Powerful plush reds

• Deep rich purples

No matter your application or product, we both the standard shade everyone knows and more specific, tailored purple solutions to meet different visual and performance needs.

FruitMax® Quetch: a better purple alternative

For purple shades, FruitMax® Quetch provides a compelling alternative to grape skin extract, particularly in beverages.

Compared to grape skin, black carrot:

• Does not foam, making it easier to use in beverage bottling systems

• Is more light stable, supporting better shelf-life appearance

• Is kosher, helping simplify label requirements

FruitMax® Quetch delivers reliable purple color without the processing challenges often associated with grape skin extract.

Bred for color, designed for efficiency

Oterra’s advantage starts in the field. Through targeted agronomy and breeding programs, we develop black carrot varieties with higher natural pigment content. Higher-pigment carrots allow us to produce higher-strength colorants, delivering more color per pound. This means:

• Lower usage levels

• Improved cost-in-use

• More efficient use of agricultural land for color production

It’s a smarter, more resource-efficient way to produce natural color at scale.

A cost-effective natural solution

Thanks to its strength, stability, and efficiency, black carrot remains one of the most cost-effective natural red-to-purple color options on the market. Manufacturers benefit from dependable performance without overuse or compromise.

To learn more about black carrot, click here: Oterra | Food Coloring Manufacturer of Natural Colors from Black carrot