Question 1

What is TruColor Natural Food Color?

Accepted Answer

A “Tru” American innovation, TruColor™ is made in the USA, is less expensive and more potent than other brands that offer natural color that simply cannot match the stability, hue, shade and brilliance of TruColor™. TruColor™ Purple Grape & Purple Carrot are unprecedented in natural color strength, 10 grams will color at least 25 pounds of icing a deep rich color!

What’s more? TruColor is free of Artificial Preservatives!

TruColor™ Natural Gel Paste Powder is AMAZING and is more stable to ultraviolet light than the synthetic colors!  TruColor™ Gel Paste is not like any other color gel, it is not made from synthetic cellulose gum and or modified food starch, yet has all the functions of a premium gel paste.

Question 2

Free from: FD&C Dyes, Preservatives, GMO, and Big 8 Allergens*

Accepted Answer

No FD&C Dyes – No Preservatives – Big 8 Allergen Free* – GMO Free**
A “Tru” American Innovation, we are dedicated to providing a healthy alternative to synthetic ingredients with artificial preservatives. TruColor™ Natural Colors that are free of FD&C dyes, free of artificial preservatives and free of “Big 8” allergens including milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shell fish, tree nuts*, peanuts, wheat and soy. TruColor™ is Gluten Free and free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO FREE) **

At TruColor™ we have spent years developing our natural colors with vitamins, antioxidants, polyphenols and phytonutrients (Plant Nutrients) that keep your body working properly and may help prevent disease.

*Annatto color is not on the FDA list of nuts, it is important to know that a small fraction of some people with peanut or nut sensitivities report having cross reactions to the annatto seed.

**TruColor™ Caramel clinically test GMO Free, however it may initiate GMO label requirements in the EU due to traceability to source requirements. (U.S. Corn) Please check the label for these ingredients if you may be sensitive.

***TruColor Brown is made from Organic Cane Syrup and is GMO & Corn free.

Question 3

Products, Colors, and Applications

Accepted Answer

TruColor Natural Gel Paste Powder colors were specifically designed for buttercream icing, they can also be used in dough or any product you want to color without it breaking down. TruColor™ Gel Paste Powder is a unique combination of all natural plant sources that helps to encapsulates or enrobe the natural color when used in a standard buttercream icing and  helps to prevent bleeding from condensation when thawing if frozen. You will be able to pipe rich dark lines of color across a bed of white icing and the color will not bleed into the white icing field!

It is important to know that there are differences in natural and artificial food colors, Most will get fantastic and desired results, because and all the variables sometimes results may not be as you expected, that is why we are here to support every customer.

Currently at The Polka Dot Tail, we stock the following colors in the TruColor Natural Gel Paste Powders:

In addition, we also stock the following colors of TruColor Natural Sanding Sugars for decorating in place of sprinkles:

Question 4

Directions for Use

Accepted Answer

GEL PASTE: 
(1:1 RATIO) ½ water tsp. to ½ tsp. powder (Less water for fondant)

When adding color to fondant or gum paste, use less than the recommended equal parts of water to concentrate the color so you don’t break down your fondant or make it too sticky, Use a dropper and drip drops of water to hydrate the powder, using the least amount of water possible.  Best results are achieved when the wet TruColor™ is very concentrated and completely dissolved.  Make sure the concentrated color is completely dissolved before folding in or adding to fondant or icing or you may see specks of undissolved color.  TruColor Yellow and any color that has “Turmeric” on the ingredient label will take more water to hydrate as this color is naturally thicker.
 
AIRBRUSH: 
(2:1 RATIO) ½ water and or alcohol to ¼ powder for shine colors.

Water for best results for most colors, the yellow airbrush color will dissolve and spray well with just alcohol.

Create the shade you desire: If you want a darker color add less water or a lighter color add more water, count drips or weigh product and water to duplicate color strength or replicate shade.  All TruColor™ Food Color Paint and Airbrush Color have been pH adjusted so there is no need to manipulate them with an acid (Lemon Juice) or base (Baking Soda).

It is important to spray or paint the colors on a “Dry” Surface of almost any food, Fondant, gum paste leaves or butter cream left to sit to form a slight crust. When completely dissolving the airbrush color powder you want to make a very light syrup consistency to cover nicely when sprayed, just thicker than water, but not too thick that you can’t pour it into your airbrush gun.

The Light reflective “Shine” colors made with natural minerals will always spray better with a “Siphon” airbrush or an airbrush gun that has a bottle underneath the airbrush gun, however most airbrush guns will work without the fine spray tip.  Mica particles like to settle to the bottom of the cup, lay flat and block the orifice.

Question 5

How to Hydrate & Decorate using TruColor

Accepted Answer

TruColor Natural Food Color Paints and Gel Paste Powders are easy to use, simply add water to Hydrate and Decorate.

TruColor™ Natural Gel Paste Powder and Natural Food Color Paints are “State of the Art” Natural approved Food Colors that are sold in a dry powder form that the end user “Hydrates & Decorates” and they are unlike any other natural color you have ever used! Available  in AMAZING unprecedented rainbow of natural color hues and shades!

TruColor™ Natural Food Colors have an extended shelf life when stored in a dry form, in this arid state, just like a piece of dehydrated fruit there is very little water activity and mold, yeast or bacteria simply cannot grow.

Gel Paste Powder: The starting point ratio for the Gel Paste Powder is 1:1 (one part water to one part powder).

Airbrush Powder: The starting point ratio for the Natural Food Color Paint Powder is 2:1 (two parts water to one part powder).

Pro Tip: Use less water to make the color thicker or add more water to make the color thinner. For example, you will want to use less water for a thicker dye when coloring fondant. TruColor Yellow and any color that has “Turmeric” on the ingredient label will take more water to hydrate as this color is naturally thicker.

It is important to know that there are differences in natural and artificial food colors, Most will get fantastic and desired results, because and all the variables sometimes results may not be as you expected, that is why we are here to support every customer.

Make sure the color powder is completely dissolved before adding to icing or fondant, otherwise you may see specs of undissolved color in your final product.

To make bold, rick natural color, add color to small amounts of icing or add small amounts of icing into the colored gel paste until you reach a shade just lighter than you want the finished product to look.  The natural color will darken slightly as it dries in the icing. If you add a small amount of natural color into a large batch of icing, you may only achieve pastel shades.

Often it is more effective and uses much less natural color to simply paint a design onto the surface of your cookie or cake with a brush or airbrush on the surface of the icing after it forms a slight dry crust.  When painting you rarely have to worry about what pH, heat or other variables that may change a natural color.

An example would be TruColor Black, when added into a commercial fondant with an acidic preservative, the black color will shift towards purple because of the decrease in pH caused by the acid.  The best natural black color in the world can be achieved by painting TruColor on the surface of most food products with a slight dry crust.

Question 6

Coloring Fondant or Gum Paste using TruColor

Accepted Answer

When adding color to fondant or gum paste, use less than the recommended equal parts of water to concentrate the color so you don’t break down your fondant or make it too sticky.

Start by weighing out your desired amount of TruColor Gel Paste Powder into a separate small container, that you will use to reconstitute.

Use a dropper and drip drops of water to hydrate the powder, using the least amount of water possible.  Best results are achieved when the wet TruColor™ is very concentrated and completely dissolved.

Make sure the concentrated color is completely dissolved before folding in or adding to fondant or icing or you may see specks of undissolved color.  TruColor Yellow and any color that has “Turmeric” on the ingredient label will take more water to hydrate as this color is naturally thicker.

Once completely dissolved, transfer a small amount of the gel paste to the fondant or gum paste and fold the dye in until you have a uniform color. Continue adding additional gel paste to achieve a darker, more rich color - or add additional uncolored fondant to achieve a lighter shade.

Continue adding additional gel paste to achieve a darker, more rich color - or add additional uncolored fondant to achieve a lighter shade.

If your fondant has Acetic Acid or the shortening in your buttercream icing is stabilized with Citric Acid you will need to bring up the pH by adding small pinches of dissolved Baking soda to neutralize the acid that is already in your icing.

Question 7

Shelf Life & Storage

Accepted Answer

TruColor™ Natural Food Colors have an extended shelf life when stored in a dry form, in this arid state, just like a piece of dehydrated fruit there is very little water activity and mold, yeast or bacteria simply cannot grow.

The manufacturer guarantee's every color for a period of one year if stored properly (Kept dry, away from moisture, direct light & heat) unlike other so called “Natural” brands that sell you mostly water and or glycerin and a shelf life of a few months.

Question 8

Heat Stability: Baking with Natural Dyes

Accepted Answer

TruColor Natural Gel Paste Powder colors were specifically designed for buttercream icing, they can also be used in dough or any product you want to color without it breaking down.

When using natural colors, you may also have to consider if a particular natural color is “heat stable” or not and that some natural colors bake well other do not.

Generally colors derived from an Anthocyanin source will brown with heat.

Yellow made with color derived from Turmeric Root and Orange from the Annatto Seed are generally heat stable.

Question 9

Changing Colors: Creating More Vibrant Colors

Accepted Answer

Always test a small amount of natural color in what you are trying to color first before committing to a large batch.

Most will get fantastic and desired results when using TruColor™ natural food colors, because of the variables involved when using natural colors, results may not be as you expected, take a moment to familiarize yourself with natural colors and take into account all the individual ingredients you are trying to color. Like with many things, when using natural colors for the first time, it is always best to test a small amount of a natural color in what you are trying to color to see the results first.

When using natural colors, you may also have to consider if a particular natural color is “heat stable” or not and that some natural colors bake well other do not.  Generally colors derived from an Anthocyanin source will brown with heat.  Yellow made with color derived from Turmeric Root and Orange from the Annatto Seed are generally heat stable.

Understanding Anthocyanin and creating exciting different colors from TruColor Purple Grape & Purple Carrot.

The natural color pigment in TruColor™ Purple Grape and the Purple Carrot extracts are super concentrated “Anthocyanin” extracts.  Icing colored with the natural color pigment “Anthocyanin”  will change or shift hue from red to blue with every increment increase or decrease in pH.  You can change the color yourself by adding or neutralizing the acidic content of your icing with natural household items such as lemon juice to lower the pH or baking soda to raise the pH. Check out the experiment down below from Tundes Creations.

Anthocyanin is the name given to the color pigment in many plants that range from red to blue and is found in berries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes and certain vegetables including red cabbage and purple carrot. Anthocyanin is a “pH indicator”, meaning these natural colors actually change color based on the pH and when you raise or lower the pH (or acid content) you will see a shift in color. All the beautiful colors found in a pansy flower are Anthocyanin pigments with varying amounts of acid present or absent in the flower.

Using TruColor Purple Grape and Purple Carrot by the “Gingerbread Artist” Tunde Dugantsi:

She experiments using these two TruColor products: TruColor Purple Carrot Gel Paste Powder and TruColor Purple Grape Gel Paste Powder. The Purple Grape has only 1 ingredient: purple grape skin extract. The Purple Carrot has 2: purple carrot extract, citric acid. In order to avoid the use of preservatives, they come in powder form. You have to reconstitute them by mixing with a little distilled water before use.

And the most fun part is, they change color according to the acidity (pH) of your food. This can be a disadvantage if you can not adjust the acidity of your food, but it is actually pretty cool if you can.

First Up: Purple Carrot

In the little containers she mixed TruColor Purple Carrot Gel Paste Powder with distilled water and added lemon juice (left - most acidic) or baking soda (right - least acidic/most basic) to it to achieve different colors.

Then she used a simple royal icing recipe (just egg whites and confectioners sugar). Because egg white is a natural base, adding TruColor Purple Carrot Gel Paste resulted in blue icing (farthest right). All she had to do was to add more and more lemon juice.

Pro Tip: Adding additional lemon juice, may result in a thinner texture of icing, this can be corrected by adding some more confectioners sugar to maintain the piping consistency.

All of these flowers were made with the same TruColor Purple Carrot Gel Paste Powder coloring. You only need one jar of coloring to create all these beautiful colors. (And by playing with the quantity of the coloring I could make hundreds of shades. These flowers all have the same saturation, they were all altered from the blue you see at the right side). As they are from the same natural color, they look gorgeous together too.

And here are the cookies made with these little Purple Carrot flowers. She also used TruColor Yellow Gel Paste Powder for the middle of the flowers and TruColor Leaf Green Gel Paste Powder for the leaves.

Up Next: Purple Grape

She repeated the exact same steps with the Purple Grape color. In the little containers she mixed TruColor Purple Grape Gel Paste Powder with distilled water and added lemon juice (left - most acidic) or baking soda (right - least acidic/most basic) to it to achieve different colors.

The result was almost the same. Only the shades are a little different.

Then she used a simple royal icing recipe (just egg whites and confectioners sugar). Again, because egg white is a natural base, adding TruColor Purple Grape Gel Paste resulted in blue icing (farthest right). All she had to do was to add more lemon juice.

All of these flowers were made with the same TruColor Purple Grape Gel Paste Powder coloring. As they are from the same natural color, they look gorgeous together too.

And here are the cookies made with these little Purple Grape flowers.

I don't know if you noticed, but during the few days I was waiting for sunshine to make the pictures, her Leaf Green colored leaves faded. They became pretty light, some of them even a little yellowish. So she decided to try one more technique on them:

She painted directly onto the already dried leaves on these cookies using TruColor Green Shine Gel Paste Powder, reconstituted with distilled water.

And on the cookie below, she painted TruColor Pearl Shine Gel Paste Powder directly onto to the already dried flowers and leaves.

Question 10

What is pH?

Accepted Answer

Simply stated, the term pH is a used as a scale measure the activity of hydrogen ions in a liquid with numbers from 0 to 14 used to identify whether or not there is an acid present or not.

A pH reading of 7 is neutral (not acidic or basic). 
Below 7 shows an acid is present, with 0 being the most acidic.
Above 7 is termed basic or alkaline, with 14 being the most basic.

To help understand the concept that an acid will change the color in plants, think of various colors in the Hydrangea flower bloom. You can change and manipulate the color of the flowers of this plant from blue to red by adding or removing an acid (lowering or raising the pH) in the soil.  The color changing process of the hydrangea is slightly different, however it demonstrates how natural colors show different hues with an acid present.

Question 11

Achieving Black with Natural Colors

Accepted Answer

TruColor™ “Black” Gel Paste Powder is made with a fruit juice anthocyanin and requires a neutral to basic pH to get a “Tru” black shade.

A small 5 gram jar will color ¼ pound of buttercream icing made with real butter and cream or water to a deep black shade and up to ½ pound of icing a grey color that will darken to show a black shade overnight.

If your fondant has Acetic Acid or the shortening in your buttercream icing is stabilized with Citric Acid you will need to bring up the pH by adding small pinches of dissolved Baking soda to neutralize the acid that is already in your icing.

Buttercream Icing made with real butter is naturally pH neutral, simply add the dissolved TruColor™ Black into real butter cream made from butter and cream (milk or water) to achieve a dark black shade as these ingredients are naturally neutral! A simply way to get a deep black shade is to simply paint with a paint brush or airbrush TruColor™ Black Natural Food Color Paint on the surface of your creation after the icing has had time to dry. Using this method of only applying color on the surface you take advantage of using natural colors to attain the deepest shade possible using the least amount of color.

Question 12

Achieving Red with Natural Colors

Accepted Answer

TruColor Red and TruColor Super Red

With any natural color it is always best to test and color a small amount in your icing to see the results first before committing to making a whole batch.

TruColor Red  Paste Powder is a super strength natural red color that you may need to add an acid to show a brilliant red hue in icing or dough.  Icing that will continue to darken over several hours,  always make your icing a shade lighter that you want the finished icing color to be, almost all colors will deepen on the surface as they dry, this is called “oxidation”

TruColor Red and Super Red are derived from Red Radish, Purple Carrot and blends of other TruColor” products made with vegetables and fruits.

TruColor Natural red colors derived from an Anthocyanin (berries and some vegetables) and as mentioned need an acidic medium by replacing the suggested amount of water with lemon juice to dissolve the TruColor powder. The Citric Acid and Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) in the lemon juice will lower the pH and help change the red color to a true red. Without adding a wholesome food acid, you will only achieve a “berry” color which is nice but not the red you want for icing on a fire engine cake or cookie!

Royal Icing is hard to color, and you need to make sure that your TruColor powder is completely dissolved or you may see specs of undissolved color in your icing. Royal Icing is thick and foamy so it absorbs color easily and it often takes more of any type of color to get a dark shade.  Although it is possible to get very nice shades when blended “into” icing or dough it often can be more effective and less expensive to achieve brilliant hues and shades by painting on the surface of dry royal icing with an airbrush or a paint brush when using natural colors.

RED “LEMON” ROYAL ICING:
To make a brilliant natural red color from anthocyanins you must have patience as you will need to continuously add a wholesome food acid and let the red color develop over a period of time. Natural red that is derived from certain berries and vegetables need an acid to bring out a true red hue.  Naturally occurring food acids include citric acid from citrus fruits, tartaric Acid or Potassium bitartrate is a byproduct of wine making (Cream of Tartar) and malic acid found in apples are referred to as wholesome acids, and is the reason that many natural fruits have that unique tart taste found in cranberries, grapes, berries, plums, cherries, oranges, lemons, guava, grapefruits, pineapples, apples, peaches and other fruits with seeds.

Using the “Lemon Royal Icing” Recipe below add 5 grams TruColor Red to Two Cups of the below described “thick” royal icing, add color and lemon juice getting as dark of a color as possible then cover and refrigerate overnight to let the red color “develop” even more before using. For an even deeper red appearance add an additional 1/4th teaspoon TruColor purple carrot dissolved in several drops of lemon juice. Continue to add lemon juice and blend into your “thick” royal icing mixture until you thin the icing and reach a consistency where you can pipe it through a decorating bag. Natural colors will deepen over time and your red color will also continue to develop and darken when it is stored and darken even more as the icing dries on you cookie.

"Lemon Royal Icing Recipe"

Ingredients:
2.5 oz Distilled Water
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2.5 tsp Lemon Juice Concentrate
1/2 tsp Cream of Tarter
2 Tbsp Egg White Powder
540 g Powdered Sugar
​
Directions:
Sift Powdered Sugar
Mix all ingredients except "powdered sugar" in a bowl with a whisk until foamy.
Let sit for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, strain egg white mixture with a mesh sieve to remove any lumps. 
Mix on the lowest setting for 8 minutes, then on medium for 2 minutes (for a total of 10 minutes). Your Icing should now be very stiff.

Question 13

Artificial Food Dyes: Linked to Cancer, ADHD and Allergies

Accepted Answer

These days it’s ordinary to cool off with a magenta popsicle or quench thirst with a neon green sports drink. Vibrantly colored foods have become the norm, but studies show that popular food dyes carry profound risks. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently published a comprehensive report called “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks” which details the inherent risks of nine different dyes widely used in common foods.

The report reveals that common food dyes pose risks of cancer, hyperactivity in children, and allergies. The food industry dumps over 15 million pounds of the dyes studied into the food supply each year.  Three of the dyes carry known carcinogens, and 4 can cause serious allergic reactions in some consumers.  New studies show that seven of them contributed to cancer in lab animals, including brain and testicular tumors, colon cancer, and mutations.

“These synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behavior problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. James Huff, an associate at the National Toxicology Program commented, “Some dyes have caused cancers in animals, contain cancer-causing contaminants, or have been inadequately tested for cancer or other problems. Their continued use presents unnecessary risks to humans, especially young children. It’s disappointing that the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] has not addressed the toxic threat posed by food dyes.”

CSPI mailed a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week detailing a request that food dyes be banned in the United States to protect consumers.  CSPI charges that the FDA is failing to enforce the law in the following ways:- ”Red 3 and Citrus Red 2 should be banned under the Delaney amendment, because they caused cancer in rats (some uses were banned in 1990), as should Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, which are tainted with cancer-causing contaminants.

Evidence suggests, though does not prove, that Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40 and Yellow 6 cause cancer in animals. There is certainly not “convincing evidence” of safety.- Dyed foods should be considered adulterated under the law, because the dyes make a food “appear better or of greater value than it is”–typically by masking the absence of fruit, vegetable or other more costly ingredient.”

CSPI charges that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) knows about the health risks imposed by the presence of these dyes, but has not acted to protect consumers. Despite the risks, Red 3 remains in our food supply today, with over 200,000 pounds poured into processed foods each year, including ConAgra’s Kid Cuisine frozen meals and Betty Crocker’s Fruit Roll-Ups. Experts admit that in order to conclusively state the extent of harm imposed by these dyes more comprehensive testing should take place. Many consumer advocacy groups are calling on the FDA to carry out its own tests on the dyes if the results of these other tests are not conclusive.

British lawmakers reacted to the findings of these studies and already forced companies to phase out the harmful dyes served in Britain before January of this year. Additionally, the European Union passed a law that goes into effect on July 20 requiring companies to post a notice on each dyed product sold in Europe. The notice states, “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”This law is expected to encourage the companies still using these dyes to completely eliminate them inside all of Europe over the next year.

Color is used to attract consumers, and the good news is that synthetic, petroleum-based dyes are not irreplaceable. There are a lot of natural dyes that can be used to brighten food. Blueberry juice concentrate, carrot juice, paprika, grape skin extract, beet juice, purple sweet potato, corn, and red cabbage are just a few alternative dyes. CSPI names a few stark differences in foods served in the United States and Europe in the report.  In Britain, Fanta orange soda is dyed with pumpkin and carrot extract while the U.S. version is dyed with Red 40 and Yellow 6. Kellogg Strawberry NutriGrain bars are colored with Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1 in the U.S., but with beetroot, annatto and paprika extract in the UK. McDonald’s Strawberry Sundaes are colored with strawberries in Britain but with Red dye 40 in America. Consumer advocacy groups are calling on the FDA to enact similar policies in the United States. These groups argue that we deserve real strawberries too.

Question 14

TruColor's Natural Statement

Accepted Answer

Color additives are regulated by the FDA as “Certified” (Synethetic Colors) or “Exempt from Certification” (Commonly refered to as Natural)

TruColor™ Natural Food Colors are “Exempt from Certification” by the FDA and are considered “Clean Label” they do not contain petroleum based synethetic FD&C dyes or artificial preservatives.

TruColor™  is “Exempt from Certification” where purity and use standards are regulated and batch certification is not required by the FDA to protect public health because TruColor™ is derived from plants, fruits, vegetables, roots seeds and minerals and do not pose a threat for consumers health.

TruColor, LLC applies the following internal definition to the term natural:

A Finished Color Additive derived from naturally occurring  raw materials that were processed without modifying the native chemical structure of the materials and or the combined natural structural components are derived from plants, minerals and or are nature identical in composition.

Question 15

Examples of Cakes and Cookies using TruColor

Question 16

Still have Questions?

Accepted Answer

Do not hesitate to email our team at Better@thepolkadottail.com or call us at +1 (574) 200-3112 and our team will be happy to provide additional assistance.

Resources: TruColor Natural Food Dye