GNT is working to develop new plant-based, sustainable Exberry® colour solutions for food and drink using unique fermentation technologies.The company has been creating Exberry® colours from fruit, vegetables, and plants since its foundation in 1978. It is now expanding into fermentation for the first time to increase innovation and sustainability in its plant-based solutions.

Producing colours through fermentation allows for improved functionality as well as highly efficient and sustainable year-round production. Once the raw materials have been cultivated, they can be scaled up in larger bioreactors for industrial production. This phase involves maintaining optimal conditions to ensure high biomass yield and pigment concentration.

To deliver on its aims, GNT has chosen to collaborate with Plume Biotechnology, a UK-based start-up focused on innovation in fermentation science and bioprocessing for natural colours.

Frederik Hoeck, GNT Group’s Managing Director, said: “As pioneers in plant-based colours, innovation has always been crucial to GNT and we’re fully committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions for our customers. As a family business, we understand the importance of acting responsibly and ensuring we are truly sustainable. This partnership with Plume will help us add new, futureproof options to our plant-based Exberry® portfolio.”

Thomas Burns, CEO at Plume Biotechnology, said: “The rapid evolution of fermentation-based technologies is providing unprecedented opportunities within the realms of natural colours. Plume is passionate about translating these cutting-edge technological developments into healthy, exciting, and sustainable products for consumers. In GNT, we have found the perfect strategic partner with a shared commitment to delivering excellent products whilst keeping sustainability at the heart of everything we do.”

The collaboration is designed to help GNT expand the options in its plant-based Exberry® portfolio while meeting its sustainability ambitions. In 2022, GNT announced 17 targets to optimize its environmental and social impacts by the end of the decade.

Its Sustainability Report 2023 revealed significant progress on many of those goals, including a 22 % reduction in carbon intensity at the company’s factories since 2020 and a 13 % improvement in water efficiency.

Finn Rieken, Strategy Director at GNT Group, said: “We are committed to leading the food colouring industry on sustainability. As well as promoting responsible agriculture and cutting emissions at our factories, we’re constantly exploring new options for highly sustainable colours that can deliver exceptional performance. We believe fermentation-based colours have huge potential to tick both those boxes. We are confident that working with Plume will allow us to deliver exciting new plant-based, sustainable solutions for food and beverage manufacturers around the world.”