The Israeli company Phytolon, which produces natural food dyes, today reports a partnership with the American biotechnology company Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) to create yeast strains that produce high-quality natural dyes. The company’s investors include Millennium Food-Tech and Trendlines.
As part of the partnership, Pitolon will leverage Ginkgo’s technology platform that enables large-scale yeast strain engineering to create natural colors from the betelignon family, giving fruits and roots like beets and sabers their deep, shiny color. The goal of the joint project is to maximize Python’s technology and the range of colors it offers its customers in the red-purple-yellow spectrum in a way that will optimally position the company alongside its food and cosmetics business partners.
From right to left: Dr. Tal Zeltzer and Halim Jubran – Founders of Pitulon
Hundreds of different types of artificial dyes produced by chemical synthesis from petroleum refining products are common in the food industry. Although these colors are bright to the eye and cheap to use, some have been banned or restricted to food use due to public health concerns, and this trend is growing. The demand to remove artificial colors from use comes not only from regulators but also from consumers, who say the company continues to demand from the food industry to look for substitutes for synthetic colors – colors that will be not only bright and cheap but also natural, and recently those made from sustainable technologies.
According to the company, it has technology that enables the production of natural pigments from the betelignon family using yeast fermentation methods.
Dr. Tal Zeltzer, Chief Technology Officer of Pitolon: “We are excited to work with Ginkgo to develop varieties that produce natural food colors that can potentially be brighter and cheaper than synthetic dyes. We believe biotechnology enables the production of a wider range of colors that will function more successfully than the common natural dyes on the market. “We will even exceed consumer expectations for healthy and sustainable food, all while maintaining high product quality and low prices, as expected in the industry.”
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