Oterra, a leading global supplier of natural food colors, has partnered with Swiss innovator Seprify to introduce a plant-based white coloring that replaces titanium dioxide (TiO₂). This new solution offers a clean-label, renewable alternative with comparable opacity, brightness, and whitening effects, but with a significantly lower environmental footprint.
Using Seprify’s patented cellulose-based technology, the collaboration has tested the white coloring across over 15 food categories, including bakery, confectionery, sauces, plant-based dairy and meat, and powdered drinks. The particles mimic natural structures that scatter light effectively, producing a bright, white surface.
Produced from microcrystalline cellulose sourced from FSC-certified virgin wood pulp, the new white is food-safe, nano-compliant, and estimated to reduce CO₂ emissions by 80% compared to titanium dioxide. It also features excellent dispersion, stability across light, heat, and pH, and neutral flavor and odor, all while requiring lower dosages.
Luc Ganivet, Oterra’s Chief Innovation Officer, notes that this broadens their natural color portfolio, helping meet rising consumer demand for safer, more sustainable ingredients. Dr. Lukas Schertel, CEO of Seprify, emphasizes that their technology matches TiO₂’s whitening performance while cutting CO₂ emissions and complying with evolving regulations.
Already available for customer trials, the white coloring is set to expand across global markets. Beyond food, this innovation opens new opportunities for sustainable color and opacity solutions in other industries. The partnership exemplifies how natural materials can deliver high-performance, eco-friendly alternatives at scale, supporting responsible innovation and circular economy principles.
