LINABLUE® News
Brand New Hue: The Quest to Make a True Blue M&M
January 19, 2017
by Malia Wollan (originally published Oct. 5, 2016 in The New York Times Magazine)
The team of color scientists hovered in their white coats and hairnets, staring down at a clear plastic box full of strangely colored M&Ms. “They look like pebbles, ugly little pebbles,” said Rebecca Robbins, the color-chemistry manager for Mars Chocolate. She propped open the lid to show off a muted array of gray, tan, mauve, pale purple and sickly pink chocolate nuggets. Each attenuated shade was the disappointing outcome of an early attempt by Mars to replace a bright, artificial dye with natural pigments extracted from algae, roots, seeds and other parts of plants. Not a single piece of candy in this tackle box of failure looked edible — let alone tempting. (Read more...)
DIC Corp Pumps $13m into Spirulina-derived Natural Blue Color Extraction Facility in CA
November 23, 2016
By Elaine Watson - Food Navigator USA
DIC Corporation is investing $13m into expanding production capacity in California for LINABLUE®, a natural blue color derived from the edible algae Spirulina, which is grown by its US subsidiary Earthrise Nutritionals. (Read more...)
LINABLUE® Grand Opening
August 7, 2015
CALIPATRIA, CALIFORNIA - Earthrise Nutritionals LLC welcomed more than 50 guests at its grand opening “ LINABLUE®” ribbon cutting ceremony for its new LINABLUE® extraction facility held on Friday, August 31st. Mr. Eiichi Kato, President and CEO of Earthrise Nutritionals, welcomed guests and spoke regarding the completion and importance of the state-of-the-art extraction plant to the global company and the rapidly growing natural coloring industry. The opening of the new facility enables the company to guarantee the world’s largest and most stable supply of the highest grade of Spirulina extract.
Spirulina extract was approved in 2014 by the FDA for use in most food and beverage products. To demonstrate the application of LINABLUE® in various foods, an all-natural blue ice cream was served at the post-ceremony lunch reception for all attendees to enjoy. As global demand for natural colors grows rapidly, this facility will provide healthy conscious consumers worldwide with tons of LINABLUE®, a vivid blue coloring made from Spirulina.