I have been using different combinations of red beet, tumeric and annatto for a while now and have been getting some really great results. One problem I have is the visual shelf life. When ever annatto borders white chocolate ( see attached pics) it tends to migrate into the nearby area affecting my product's appearance enough to be a problem as far as longer shelf life is concerned. Any thoughs on the reasons for migration as well as ideas on how I can slow the migration down ?

 

 

30 - 60 days later

 

 

 

 

 

     

updated by @chocotoymaker: 07/03/15 06:52:17

For some reason i'm not seeing the pictures....

 

Natural colors are almost always water soluable.  Are yours suspended in fat, and if so, is that fat a soybean, coconut, or some other fat that's liquid at room temperature?  If so, you've likely got an oil migration problem, which would be solved by dispersing those colorants in a solid fat - ideally cocoa butter.

I have no idea why the pics are not posting. I have added them to my gallery page under " Natural Colors" you should be able to see them there.

I understand what you are saying about liquid fat. My colors arrive to me already suspended in canola oil. I receive three; Red Beet, Tumeric, Annatto. For soem reason it is only the Annatto that migrates. The other two remain stable ( with the exception of tumeric fading ( another headache)

Could there be some form of osmosis (but in oil). i.e. the annato suspension migrates along with the oil from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. As the canola oil isn't crystalline at room temperature, it could flow.

Here is something to try. Add some of the same oil (canola) in the same proportion as the oil in your color to the white chocolate.

This would theoretically make the concentration of oil the same, thus mitigating the area of high oil concentration and the oil migration/color bleeding.

As far as why the annato is the only one to do it.... I'm not sure. Could it have something to do with particle size?

are other colors next to white chocolate?

 Link to your picture https://www.thechocolatelife.com/chocotoymaker/gallery/9866/img-6900#gallery_img

(Edited to add link)

updated by @larry2: 07/03/15 11:41:55

here is the same item using just red beet blend, also suspended in oil. The item in this pic is about a year old there is no migration ( made thousands of them )

https://www.thechocolatelife.com/chocotoymaker/gallery/9867/img-6901#gallery_img

 

 

Now that is really challenging.  is the beet blend in the same oil? Could it be the particle size?

I googled annato coloring and found a website which mentions using norbixin to prevent annato bleeding , but the chemical is not mentioned on the   beet page.

I don't know much about norbixin yet. Have you bounced the question off the annato manufacturer?

I don't want to hijack this thread but I am looking for an alternative to confectionery luster dust that doesnt have mica, etc. You speak of oil based colors. Are there powder colors that are natural? Where to find? THis is of some urgency, so any leads are most welcome.

Sarah -

I have been doing some research and if you want a shiny/pearlescent finish - i.e., the luster part of luster dust - then I think that something like titanium dioxide and/or mica are going to be required ingredients. I don't see any source that does not have these listed as an ingredient. ChefRubber has product categories called Pearl Powder and Liquid Luster but they are both empty.

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clay - http://www.thechocolatelife.com/clay/

I think I'm going to have to forego the luster for this job, then. Its for export to Japan and these things are forbidden ingredients...

 

Sarah,

    You can get red beet, annatto, tumeric powders with ease on teh internet, but just like Clay said, they will not subsitute for luster and are best used as mixed or steeped into white chocolate and or cocoa butter.