Oterra and Ecoflora Cares join forces to build a world of responsibly sourced naturally colored foods in Blues and beyond

The pigment is derived from the jagua fruit (Genipa americana) and is responsibly sourced in Colombia, ethically developing small farmers and indigenous communities as suppliers. 

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement approving Jagua Blue as a food colorant for a wide range of applications marks a significant achievement for Ecoflora Cares, a Certified B Company. They developed and patented the technology and the production process as well as petitioned for the product’s approval. Jagua Blue, a color derived from the fruit of the jagua tree (also known as huito), offers a safe and vibrant, naturally sourced blue color that can be blended with other natural colors to create vivid and stable green, purple, and brown shades. This is the first acid-stable natural blue to be approved and is the only Jagua blue that has been reviewed and deemed safe by FDA. 

For Ecoflora Cares’ co-founder and executive chair Nicolás Cock Duque this is an exciting milestone for the company. “The development of Jagua Blue by Ecoflora Cares has made our dream of coloring the world with our natural blue tangible. We are proud to deliver the spirit of tropical forests while raising awareness to millions of consumers around the world about the importance of its protection and regeneration.” 

Oterra, the world's largest provider of natural colors, will leverage its own scientific and application expertise in an exclusive collaboration with Ecoflora Cares to introduce and grow this newly approved color additive within the US food and beverages market. 

Oterra CEO Mads Winther Dehlsen shares the excitement. “This partnership is an example of our "Together towards Natural" sustainability strategy put into action. It’s answering the food and beverage market’s longstanding need for a robust natural blue. Ecoflora Cares’ expertise is a perfect match for Oterra’s and together we’re excited about this unique natural blue that meets the needs of our customers, their consumers, and the planet.” 

Ecoflora Cares has developed sustainable supply chain solutions for this Colombian-grown fruit. A Certified B Company and a member of the Union for Ethical Biotrade, Ecoflora Cares works with small farmers and indigenous communities using a positive impact business model. The jagua trees are under agroforestry and silvopastoral plantations as a nature-based solution benefitting society, nature, and climate. In its supplier development program, Ecoflora Cares has provided technical accompaniment, family mentoring, and supplier knowledge to the small farmers and indigenous communities who cultivate the jagua. 

Utilizing this sustainable and ethically sourced raw material, Oterra and Ecoflora Cares offer food and beverage manufacturers the opportunity to completely revolutionize the use of natural blue colors in their products without having to compromise on product quality, stability, or technical performance. 

For Oterra’s chief innovation officer, Luc Ganivet, this is a truly exciting development that will greatly benefit Food and Beverage manufacturers. "Given its high color concentration and its robustness towards heat, light, and acidity, Jagua Blue is an easy-to-use, cost-effective natural blue. It means manufacturers can now create natural shades of green and purple that were previously impossible to achieve without using artificial colors.”