Natural food colors
Black
There isn’t a lot of true black in this world, but we love what there is, like a clear night sky sprinkled with stars, or clothing that spans from a black belt in martial arts to a formal little black dress. Black food doesn’t forsake us either, with tasty black olives, black beans and black pepper. Black is often a color of rarity and sophistication even in food. Black rice was so rare and expensive that in ancient times it was called “Emperor’s rice” and was used to pay tribute. (1)
Black is a color that has cycled through trends throughout the ages, mostly as a result of new discoveries of how to produce this rare color. Oterra offers a natural black food color from natural sources as part of our entire range of natural food colors.
Skip down the page to learn more about black
Black in nature
What black means to us
The history of black being used as a color
Black in food
Why food manufacturers choose Oterra
Black in the plant kingdom
Some plants can be so very dark that they look almost black. The color usually comes from anthocyanins or tannins. Examples are certain varieties of coral bells, bearded irises, roses, dahlias, pansies, tulips, orchids and hollyhocks. Grains come in black versions, too, like sesame seeds, rice and quinoa, not to mention black beans. Pepper corn and tea leaves become black when dried. (2)
If you’ve read our brown color page, you know that melanin is responsible for why mammals have black hair. Interestingly, the black bamboo, native to China and Taiwan, contains an amino acid called tyrosine that oxidizes when exposed to the hot sun and turns into melanin, turning the stalks black. They’ve been studied extensively to learn how to prevent the process, called melanogenesis, in hopes the process can be used in skin whitening cosmetics. (3)
Black in the animal kingdom
Bugs. Birds. Black bears and black panthers. There are many black beings in the wild, and not all of them begin with the letter “B.” Their color certainly gives them an advantage regarding camouflage in the shadows. Domesticated animals also have their fair share of black, and many of them with a long ancestry, like the Friesian horse which originally were used as an armor-bearing war horse. The Valais blackneck goats from Italy and Switzerland, which date back to 1387, are white on the rump and black on the front. Galloway cattle are shaggy, thick-coated black beef cattle that originated in Scotland in the 1600s. Whether they’re flying, crawling, climbing, running or swimming, the vast majority of black animals can thank melanin for their color. (2)
No matter how black an animal seems, it’s more correct to call them “blackish.” Physics defines “black” as the total absence of light. Black fur, wings and shells absorb nearly all light but never all of it. The crow is a bird that comes pretty close, though. Their feathers have barbule structures that trap and absorb over 99% of light, making them appear blacker than coal or paint. (4)
The natural world
Volcanic rock is found all over the world and is usually black. Basalt, created by quick cooling lava, may be the most common volcanic rock. It forms whole islands and vast lava plateaus. It’s a popular building material because it is so strong. While basalt contains tiny crystals, obsidian is another volcanic rock that cooled so quickly no crystals could form. It’s glassy and smooth, and it creates sharp edges when shattered. It’s been used from ancient times to make tools and jewelry. The famous black beaches in Iceland, Costa Rica and Hawaii and Alaska in the US are made of volcanic minerals like basalt and obsidian. There are also many black gemstones, among them the black diamond, black sapphire and black tourmaline. (5,6)
Coal is a common black rock that is naturally flammable. It’s made by plant matter that decomposes into peat and then is turned into coal by pressure and heat over thousands of years. Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels, and it emits toxic and carcinogenic substances as well. (4,7)
The meaning of black
Universal associations with black
Black is a color of elegance and luxury. Many top luxury brands have black logos, and it is the most popular color for luxury cars. Several sports brands use black logos as well to symbolize strength, which is also aligned to its association with masculinity.
Black is often associated with mourning and death, as well as mystery. Perhaps this stems from the mystery of what happens after death, or perhaps the “black of night” is simply a place of the unknown. It can be scary or confusing or simply cold, a reference to the absence of the sun and light. The word “mafia” translates to “black society” in Chinese. Black symbolism encompasses power, authority, formality, rebellion, anti-social and underworld. Of all the colors, black is probably the most weighted to negative associations. The strongest emotion universally associated with black is “sadness,” at 51%. (8-11)
Black holes
When a massive star collapses at the end of its life cycle, it creates an area of gravity that is so powerful nothing can escape it. That includes light, which is why black holes are truly black. They can grow by absorbing mass around them and by combining with other black holes. It’s thought that supermassive black holes exist in the center of most galaxies. (2,12)
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows Galaxy NGC 6240. Its odd shape is due to it being two galaxies that drifted too close to each other. Now the two black holes are so close to each other it will be impossible to escape. They will merge into a single immense black hole. (13)
Black cats
Black cats have always been special. Around 2,300 B.C. cats were revered in Egypt, and it seems black cats most of all. They were guardians against evil spirits and disease. During the Viking Age, around 1,000 C.E., black cats were associated with Freya, the goddess of love, fertility and beauty. Two giant black cats were believed to pull her carriage across the night sky each night. Around the same time, sailors preferred black cats on their ships as they were thought to prevent bad luck AND be the best mouse catchers.
Black cats also became associated with witches, who in the early centuries were viewed simply as women with a deep understanding of the natural world and the healing property of plants. But witches were seen as a threat to the church’s power, and in 1233 Pope Gregory IX declared black cats to be the incarnation of Satan. (What happened to the witches is a story for another day.) Things went downhill from there. Massive numbers of cats were exterminated, and the Black Plague exploded, killing 25 million Europeans. In the 1600s, during the Salem Witch Trials, black cats were burned to death along with the women who owned them.
It’s not all bad news for black cats. The U.K. seems to be a safe haven. They are considered lucky in Britian and Ireland. If a bride receives a black cat as a gift, the marriage is considered to be lucky. In Scotland a black cat on your doorstep signals prosperity. (14,15)
Thin black edge
There is evidence of obsidian being used as a medical tool as far back as 8,000 B.C. Metal replaced obsidian for constructing tools from around 3,500 B.C. While metal has the benefit of being sturdier, a household razor blade’s edge is 10-20 times thicker than a modern obsidian blade. If you look at a cut under a microscope, you can see that an obsidian blade actually cuts cells in half, while a steel scalpel incision looks like it was made with a chain saw. No wonder some cosmetic surgery is performed with obsidian blades, as they are thought to produce less scarring. But great care must be taken as the blades are extremely brittle. If the user of an obsidian blade cuts themselves, they may not even feel the cut. (16)
Black polar bears?
Despite appearances, polar bears are actually black, as can be seen in their snout and nose. Their black skin allows them to absorb all ranges of UV light to help keep them warm. Their hair is transparent and acts like a fiber optic cable to direct light to their skin. The hollow nature of the hair reflects all wavelengths of light and makes it appear white, conveniently allowing the bears to blend in with their surroundings. (17)
There are 26,000 wild polar bears in existence. They use half their life hunting. Even though they are incredibly patient and can smell a seal air hole in the ice from almost a kilometer away, they are only successful in 2% of their hunts. They are also the only bear classified as a marine mammal because they spend most of their life on arctic ice, and they can swim for days to reach a new ice flow. (18)
Little black dress
Prior to the 1920s, black in women’s clothing was reserved mainly for mourning. But in 1926, French designer Coco Chanel created a shocking black dress that was just as shockingly short and loose. Her dress design was part of a larger movement where women rejected the confining clothing that symbolized their confining lives. As Chanel famously said, “A woman needs just three things; a black dress, a black sweater, and, on her arm, a man she loves.” Around the same time, Henry Ford was mass producing the Model T in “any color…so long as it’s black.” This led Vogue writers to name the black dress “Chanel’s Ford,” hinting that this simple yet luxurious item would be accessible to the masses. And they were right. The LBD, as it’s affectionately referred to, has thrived, evolved and is still relevant for most women’s wardrobes.(12,19)
Rebellious black
In the 1950s, black came to be a symbol of individuality and rebellion, both intellectually and socially. Left-Bank intellectuals in Paris began wearing it, as did Beatniks in New York and San Francisco. Veterans coming home from the war brought their leather bomber jackets with them. They made their way to motorcycle clubs, which was a popular pastime for men home from the war. Marlon Brandon iconized the black leather jacket as a symbol of rebellion in the 1953 movie “The Wild One.” Black jackets continue to be worn by people on the fringes of society, like bike gangs and street gangs. In the late 1900s black was heavily used in the punk and goth subcultures.(12,20)
Black Friday
In many places around the world, “Black Friday” is a day in autumn where stores offer amazing pre-Christmas sales. It originates from the USA, where Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, a public holiday that is always held on Thursday. The term “Black Friday” first came into use in 1951. Productivity in factories noticeably dropped because so many factory workers called in sick the day after Thanksgiving to get a four-day weekend. Management began referring to the day as “Black Friday” and companies began offering it as a paid holiday even though it isn’t a federal holiday. In the 1960s police started using the term to refer to the crazy traffic congestion and shopping crowds. (21)
Black colorism
Language is always evolving, and terms often become detached from their origins. But in many cultures “white and black” are associated with “good and evil.” Think of the words “blacklist” of “black balling.” Studies have shown people tend to have an automatic association between blackness and negativity. In sports, players wearing black uniforms are more likely to receive penalties. People associate criminal acts with darker skin tones. It’s important to be aware that the way the color black is utilized in everyday language can reflect attitudes and associations with racist or colorist origins. (8,10)
Vantablack
In 2014 the company Surrey Nanosytems developed a black coating that absorbs 99.965% of light. It’s the blackest substance known. Vantablack is an acronym that stands for Vertically Aligned Nano Tube Array Black. It’s used mainly in technology, like coating the insides of telescopes to absorb light. This allows the telescope to look further back in time. Or it can hide stealth satellites. Occasionally it’s used for less profound applications, like this watch face which illustrates that vantablack makes surfaces look two-dimensional when no light is reflected. British sculpture Anish Kapoor is considered the greatest colorist of the 2000s. He has exclusive rights to use Nanoblack in artistic projects. He uses it to explore his interest in the idea of being and non-being. He has said, “In the Renaissance there were two great discoveries: perspective and the fold…Painting the giving of appearance to objects. I’ve been giving objects disappearance.” (22-24)
Cultural differences regarding black
Here are the results of several surveys about how various cultures perceive the color black: (25)
West /American: authority, death, eternity, evil, mourning, style Japanese: Bad luck, death, evil, style, unhappiness Hindu: anger, evil, penance Native American: balance, death, self-cultivation Asian: intelligence, penance, self-cultivation
The language of black
The word “black” comes from Proto-Germanic “blakkaz” for “burned” and Old Saxon “blæc” for “dark” and “ink.” Here are some of the many English idioms that use the word “black.” (12,26,27)
Black tie event
The expression refers to a formal event at which men are required to wear a dinner jacket, or tuxedo, and a black bow tie.
In the black
To say that a person or organisation is in the black means that they are financially sound and have a positive balance on their account.
Black energy
Energy produced from fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil. Also called brown energy. This term is used to differentiate these energy sources from renewable energy sources, called green energy.
Black gold
Refers to the black color and the high value of oil. A term used frequently in the late 1900s.
Black out
When energy supplies are cut and there is no light, heat or electricity.
Black out 2
If you black out, you lose consciousness.
Black look
An expression of contempt, hatred or anger.
Look (as) black as thunder
A facial expression that conveys rage or hostility, likened to the black clouds that accompany thunderstorms.
Beaten black and blue
If a person is covered with bruise marks caused by being hit, they have been beaten black and blue.
Black mark
A black mark against a person relates to something bad they have done.
Blacklist/to be blacklisted
To be placed on a blacklist is to be included on a list of undesirable persons or entities.
Blackball/to be blackballed
Refers to blocking entry into a club or group. In a traditional English gentlemen's club, members voted on the admission of a candidate by secretly placing a white or black ball in a hat. If upon the completion of voting, there was even one black ball amongst the white, the candidate would be denied membership. He would never be told who had "blackballed" him.
Black sheep
To be a black sheep means that you are unlike the rest of a group, as in a family. Usually that group does not understand the black sheep’s choices and are sometimes embarrassed by them.
Black and white
When something is black and white (as in black print on white paper), it is clear and easy to understand. Can be used as slang for a formal document like a contract, or to describe a situation. Something that is “in black a white” can be proof of an obligation.
The pot calling the kettle black
When someone accuses or criticizes someone else for a flaw or misdeed that they themselves are also guilty of.
A black day
A day that marks a sad or unfortunate event.
A black mood
A bad mood. Winston Churchill called his clinical depression "my black dog."
Black coffee
Of coffee, served or consumed without cream or sugar.
Black comedy
Usually concerning satiric humor or having morbid or grisly elements.
Black market
The trade of illegal goods, or the illegal trade of otherwise legal items, usually at considerably higher prices.
Black propaganda
The use of known falsehoods, partial truths, or masquerades in propaganda to confuse an opponent or their voters.
Blackmail
Forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do by threatening to hurt them in some way. Ordinarily, such a threat is illegal.
Black magic
Magic derived from evil forces, as distinct from good or benign forces. Or magic performed with the intention of doing harm.
The black
A term used in fighting wildfires that refers to a burned area capable of acting as a safety zone
The history of black pigments and dyes
If you’ve ever been camping or had a bonfire, you probably know about charcoal. Since ancient times, people have been drawing black lines with burned sticks. Later they found they could achieve a darker shade by grinding up charred bones or manganese oxide.
Over time, various cultures burned different plants to achieve their black pigments. The Romans burned the cut branches of grapevines and believed the deepness and richness of the black corresponded to the quality of the wine that vine produced. Almond shells and pits from peaches, cherries and apricots were also considered find material for producing black pigment. The Polynesians burned coconut to produce their pigment. (12)
Black ink The very first ink in China used natural plant dyes and ground minerals, but already about 4-5,000 years ago, they switched to soot for ink. They combined soot with animal glue and shaped them into sticks to use for painting and calligraphy. India ink, now well-known for comic book production, was produced at least 4,000 years ago by borrowing techniques from China and creating black from bone char, tar or pitch. From the 1300s to the 1800s, the standard European writing ink was made from gall nuts, a kind of tumor on oak trees caused by insect larvae. In the 1400s, with the invention of the printing press, “printer’s ink” was needed. It was made from soot, turpentine and walnut oil. (12)
Black paint In the early 1860s, Samuel H. Gilson excavated bitumen in the American West. He called it gilsonite and began promoting it as a coating or varnish. The black-brown mineral pigment can be a sticky, semi-solid form of petroleum or a shiny black substance that is easy to crush into powder. (28)
Synthetic black As with most synthetic pigments, the 1800s saw the development of Mars Black, created from synthetic black iron oxide. Today, black paint is made from the same sources as in ancient times: Lamp Black: soot Ivory Black: burned bones Mars Black: synthetic black iron oxide Asphaltum/gilsonite/bitumen: synthetic or natural petroleum product. (29)
Black dyes Black clothing has been used to symbolize mourning since ancient times. The Romans wore dark togas called “toga pulla.” Togas were made of wool, and toga pulla were made from the wool of dark sheep. So no dye was needed. (31) Later, black dye was typically made from bark, roots and fruits from trees containing tannins like walnut, chestnut and oak. The colors were more grey, brown or bluish instead of black and faded quickly. Cloth was often dyed several times to get it dark.
India developed mordants and the processes to fix dyes to cloth. It was a carefully guarded secret that was slowly discovered by the Europeans. It turns out mordants were necessary to achieve black dye. Dyers learned to add iron filings to act as a mordant to help darken the color, but it was corrosive to the fabric.
In the 1100 and 1200s, black was worn by Benedictine monks as a sign of humility, but even back then conflict could appear seemingly out of nowhere. A famous theological dispute broke out between them and the Cistercian monks, who wore white. The Benedictines thought wearing white showed excessive pride while the Cistercians considered black the color of the devil, hell and sin. (12)
In the 1300s, Europeans discovered that gall nuts from oaks could produce a richer and deeper black. But the dye was extremely expensive and only affordable by the very rich. Another good, but expensive, way to achieve black was to first dye cloth blue with woad or indigo. After it was dry, it was dyed again with red madder on an alum mordant. By the late 1500s, this was considered the best procedure to achieve black. (32) During those early Middle Ages, nobility and wealthy were fond of wearing bright colors. Magistrates and government officials began to wear high-quality black robes, partly as a sign of importance but also because some kings restricted the use of bright colors to nobility. Evidently, the lawmakers cut quite a figure because royalty and nobility quickly picked up the fashion, first in what is now northern Italy, then France, England and Spain. By 1600, it was the color worn by nearly all monarchs of Europe. It was also an important color of the Protestant Reformation of Europe where clothing should be sober, simple and discreet.
Perhaps the spread of black dye was helped by Spanish explorers who “discovered” the logwood tree in the 1500s. Native to southern Mexico and northern Central America, the Mayan Indians used it to dye cotton cloth and for medicinal purposes. The Europeans called it logwood because it was shipped to Europe in logs. Its scientific name is Haematoxylum campechianum, meaning “blood wood.” Hematoxylin, pictured above, is extracted by boiling the wood chips from the inner, red wood. First an orange-red solution is obtained that turns yellow and then black when cool. It’s only color-fast when used with a mordant. (32) Aluminum produces blue, tin produces red and iron produces black. (33)
In the 1860s hematoxylin was discovered to be able to stain tissues in scientific research. Synthetic dyes made logwood obsolete as a cloth dye after it colored the blue uniforms of the American Civil War, World War I and World War II, but it is still the preferred staining agent for tissue sections in laboratories. (32)
Black in food
There aren’t many black foods, and we wouldn’t want to live without them. Black olives, black beans and black liquorice are just a few of them. Black has also become a popular decorative color for occasions like Halloween and fun birthday parties jesting about aging. It is also a color chefs can use to portray sophistication, just as it’s often used in packaging for high-end products to convey a sense of luxury. (34)
Natural black food coloring: the Oterra difference
Artificial black colors It’s difficult to create black with synthetic food colors, but the most common way to do it is to blend FD&C Red #40 (Allura red), Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) and Blue #1 (Brilliant blue). Another method is to use black iron oxides, which are approved in the EU and in the USA for some confectionery and petfood.
Natural black colors Oterra offers natural black food coloring that starts with the same natural products our ancestors used, like coconut shells, peach pits, peat or bamboo. But that’s where the similarity stops. For it to be food grade, natural black colors must start with this kind of “vegetable” base (as opposed to a petroleum base, which can be used to make black color for industrial purposes). Then it gets “activated.” One way to do that is to burn it to somewhere between 600-1200°C / 1110-2190°F. This makes the small pieces of carbon “pop” almost like popcorn, so each small piece has a huge surface area. The larger the surface area, the smaller the quantity needs to be used to create color, since we see color as light reflected from a surface. In the case of black, almost no light is reflected. (35)
Vegetable activated carbon has no taste or odor and is very stable. It’s used to color foods and cosmetics. In some countries, it is also used as a remedy for a bad stomach. In Europe it has the food additive number E153. It’s approved in most of the world except USA, where the conventional method for black is still to blend artificial colors.
Note there is quite a lot of confusion about black colors. One of the reasons is that both E152 and E153 can be called Carbon Black. Another reason is that two of the colors that are largely banned for food use have the names Food Black 1 and Food Black 2.
Overview of black colors from natural sources
E151: Brilliant Black PN
Other names
Food Black 1 Black PN Brilliant Black A Naphthol Black C.I.28440 INS.151
Description (as of 2024)
Diazo dye artificial food color banned in, for example, US, JA and many European countries.
E152: Black 7984
Other names
Carbon Black Food Black 2 C.I. 27755 INS.152
Description (as of 2024)
Diazo dye artificial color banned for food in many places, for example, US, EU, AU and JA. Commonly used as an industrial color, for example tires and ink.
E153: Vegetable Carbon
Other names
Carbon Black Activated Charcoal Activated Carbon Carbon Amorphous Pigment Black 6 CI 77266 INS.153
Description (as of 2024)
Natural food color from vegetable origin approved in most regions but banned in the US except for petfood.
Why choose Oterra's natural black food colors?
Safe
With our Good Manufacturing Practices, you can rest assured our natural food colors meet various requirements and regulations on food coloring. And when it comes to research about health, natural colors win hands down over artificial counterparts.
Superior Quality
No matter your formulation requirement, you can rely on our colors to provide the exact same shade regardless of harvest or production batch. We’ll also help you with color matching to achieve the precise color you’re looking for.
Consistent supply
You don’t need to buy once a year according to the harvest calendar. We produce colors year-round and work hard to ensure they arrive at your door when you need them, both for lab samples, production pilots and production year after year.
Fair prices
We harvest and process pigments from mainly plants, and then carefully formulate them for maximum ease-of-use and shelf life. Color ingredients are a tiny percentage of your cost matrix, so the value of spending more on natural vs. artificial is well worth it.
Unrivaled expertise
We’ll help you develop products with the right shade and sensory qualities that avoid ingredients on your “no” list. And we’ll still be there to assist when you reformulate. There’s a reason we have expertise centers worldwide and the broadest color portfolio in the industry.
Unique innovation
We have a long history of product innovation for the best-performing natural food colors. But there’s more. By solving today’s challenges with solutions for the future, we drive the right kind of change that will ethically lead to innovation we can all be proud of.
Partnership mentality
Your food manufacturing environment is unique. You need a partner who cares about your efficiency and quality as much as you do. And who cares about their own responsible manufacturing and product quality since it becomes part of yours. We do.
Regulatory expertise
Rely on our documentation and certifications to meet your standards and inform your ingredients label development. Our global knowledge of the regulations that can influence your color choice make us your ideal partner whether you produce for home or abroad.
Responsible & sustainable
We were collaborating with farmers for better harvests and worker conditions, as well as cutting use of water and electricity in our factories before anyone required reporting. As a member of the UN global compact with ambitious SBTi-aligned targets, we’re still doing it.
Customizable
We understand that your product development and manufacturing environment is unique, and that's why Oterra offers customizable solutions. We'll help you achieve the shade you need in the right formulation to suit your products’ brand identity.
Organic
If your consumers want organic, look no further than to our range of organic natural food colors, accredited in US and EU. And if they’re looking for kosher, halal, non-GMO, plant-based or even approved for pets, we have that too.
Clean label
We’re with you on a journey together towards natural. How fast you travel depends on your consumers. So if you’re looking for clean label or simply to avoid artificial colors and additives, we’re here to help. Because we believe nature got it.
We believe the world deserves more naturally colored food. We combine ancient and modern methods to produce the best natural food colors with the least negative footprint on the planet or our health.
We’d like to help you understand your options when moving from artificial colors to natural colors, and help you take the steps towards more natural and transparent food production.
1. Emporer’s rice
2. Things that are black
3. Black bamboo
4. Black things in nature
5. Volcanic materials
6. Difference between basalt and obsidian
7. Coal is the most polluting of fossil fuels
8. Meaning of black
9. Black in branding
10. Color psychology
11. Black associations in China
12. All about black
13: About Glaxay NGC 6240
14. Black cats’ history
15. Black cats - revered and despised
16. Advantages of obsidian blades
17. Why polar bears are black
18. About polar bears
19. History of the little black dress
20. Black biker outerwear
21. Black Friday
22. Vantablack producer
23. Details of vantablack
24. Art and vantablack
25. Cultural differences about the meaning of black
26. Black idioms
27. Black idioms from the free dictionary.
28. Gilsonite
29. Types of black paint
30. Toga pulla
31. Black dying methods in the Middle Ages
32. Logwood’s origin
33. The colors of logwood
34. Black in packaging
35. Activated carbon