AS major food producers shift from artificial to natural colourings, demand for one healthier pigment is outstripping supply.
The algae-derived pigment phycocyanin made a splash when it gained international regulatory approval in 2013, just as public attitudes against artificial colours were galvanising, creating the first ripples of a biotech rush.
Since then it has been widely favoured for natural blues and greens in food colourings used in products ranging from craft alcohol to sweets.
The market has doubled in the last three years for the blue pigment that first came to light in the modern-day Smartie.
Read more: Biotech firm wins £2m to ramp up natural food colourant production
Using the main existing method of harvesting the pigment from algae ponds can create seasonal and environmental contamination problems for the world's producers and needs space.
So the race is now on to find new ways to produce phycocyanin, hailed as a source of vegetable protein and considered by some as a superfood supplement.
The Tokyo-based market leader DIC-Global’s California subsidiary Earthrise Nutritionals is reported to be currently expanding its production capacity while researching innovative production methods.
Read more: Biotech firm wins £2m to ramp up natural food colourant production
The size of its facility puts into perspective the scale of the farming operations.
The firm’s outdoor US algae cultivation facility, at the size of 25 football pitches, is the largest in the world.
Scot Bio says its unique bio-reactor based lighting system - without which "the business model wouldn’t stack up” - represents the best solution to the problem.
As it stands the firm has a patented system which it is expected will be toasted again.
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