Colour without compromise: how phytolon uses fermentation for healthier, eco-friendly food colours
Precision-fermented food colour is emerging as an attractive alternative to less-stable plant-based colours and unhealthy synthetic dyes, delivering on lower cost and environmental impacts.Â
Food colouring plays a hidden but crucial role in our food products. When it is there, we tend not to notice, but when it is missing the appeal of food and consumer perception of products is impacted. [1]Â
Why food colouring needs a new production method?
Artificial dyes have been widely used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products as well as food to enhance their appeal. Sourced from petroleum by-products, artificial colours have raised concerns due to their health impacts, including allergies and colitis, and environmental impacts through its presence in effluent and increasing concentration in fish and up the food chain. [2]
Natural food colouring is typically extracted from plants and are now found across our foods, from beverages and ice creams to plant-based meats and baked goods. Â
However, they are less stable than their synthetic counterparts. Sensitivity to heat, light and pH level make them loose their colour and effect taste. Natural food colouring also has limitations linked to agricultural supply, which can lead to fluctuating cost.Â
Natural food colouring from precision fermentation
Phytolon is redefining natural food coloring through precision fermentation, a method where tiny microorganisms like yeast are trained to produce natural colour ingredients, which are healthy and sustainable. This method creates vibrant, farm-independent pigments that offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes and traditional plant extracts.Â
Founded in 2018 by biotechnology entrepreneurs Dr Halim Jubran (CEO) and Dr Tal Zeltzer (CTO), Phytolon harnesses fermentation-based technology to produce betalain pigments, the naturally occurring compounds behind the striking colors in plants. Using two specially engineered strains of baker’s yeast, they generate water-soluble pigments, “Beetroot Red” and “Prickly Pear Yellow”, which can be blended to create a full spectrum of shades from purple and pink to red, orange, and yellow.Â
Phytolon’s innovative approach has unlocked a versatile palette for the food and beverage industry, with applications across baked goods, snacks, seasonings, toppings & icings, confectioneries, dairy yogurts, and ice creams & frozen novelties. Their formulations are not only high-quality and cost-efficient but also meet rigorous coloring standards, making them a practical choice for a wide range of products.Â
Phytolon achieved full FDA approval for their Beetroot Red natural food dye, while global companies Rich’s and Colorcon have announced investments and plans to explore Phytolon’s colors in their product lines.Â
Fermentation leads the way in the colouring industry
Precision fermentation is giving food colouring a competitive and sustainable edge. Unlike plant-based sources, fermentation generates significantly lower environmental impacts, requiring far less land, water, and producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions. For example, Phytolon’s pigments reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90%, water use by 95%, and land use by 88% compared with traditional agricultural colours. [3] Their products are non-synthetic, non-toxic, and free from the health concerns linked to artificial dyes.Â
The production process is also more efficient. Colours are easier to extract from yeast biomass than from plant cells, and Phytolon’s engineered yeast strains achieve nearly three times the output of previous natural colour methods. This higher yield per batch reduces production costs while ensuring consistent supply independent of seasonal agricultural cycles.Â
By combining sustainability with cost-efficiency, Phytolon’s fermentation-based pigments help manufacturers meet consumer demand for natural ingredients while improving margins and minimizing supply risks.Â
Producing natural food colouring with less impact on the planet
Phytolon’s growing success
In 2020, early in their startup journey, EIT Food invested in Phytolon, along with a number of other investors, raising a total US $4.1M.[4] Since then Phytolon have benefitted from being part of the EIT Food community.Â
The company has backing from DSM Venturing, Rich Products Ventures, Arkin Holdings and Yossi Ackerman. They work with partners Ginkgo Bioworks to scale production and bring its fermentation-derived pigments to industry customers in the US and beyond. With Rich Products Ventures they are exploring use of Phytolon’s colours in products like icings and baked goods as part of the company’s commercial rollout. [4] Â
EIT Food has been supporting Phytolon financially and though its network since 2020. While it participated in 3 investment deals, EIT Food also catalysed the introductions with corporates that have become major commercial partners of Phytolon, either through their annual events, or by direct introductions. On top of that, the set of expertise in EIT Food's team helps the management in the decision-making progress with respect to growth and strategies.
The shades of knowledge
1. Question assumptions in mature markets: Phytolon demonstrates that even well established, low-margin ingredients like food colour can be disrupted by questioning whether it is fit for a healthier more sustainable future.Â
2. Design for scale from day one: by using precision fermentation, the company followed a pathway already established in the food innovation space for predictable inputs, low cost and ability to scale.Â
3. Build faster with commercial alignment: strategic partnerships with ingredient and food manufacturers has helped Phytolon move faster, validate real-world use cases and grow as a company.Â
The next frontier for impact
Backed by partnerships with innovators like Ginkgo Bioworks, Phytolon is scaling toward commercialisation. Once fully approved, these colours could replace up to 70% of the market, offering food and beverage brands a sustainable, high-performance alternative that redefines what’s possible in natural colouring. [5]Â
Learn more about Phytolon on the Food Fight Podcast
Learn about the latest opportunities, research and innovations shaping the food industry.Â
References
- Silva J, et. al. (2025) “The Influence of Food Colors on Emotional Perception and Consumer Acceptance: A Sensory and Emotional Profiling Approach in Gastronomy.” Foods. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12651177/Â
- Rubio F, et.al. (2025) “Artificial dyes: Health risks, environmental concerns, and the rise of natural alternatives” Trends in Food Science & Technology https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224425002213
- “Susatinability” Phytolon https://www.phytolon.com/sustainabilityÂ
- "Phytolon attracts funding from Rich Products Ventures for natural colors via precision fermentation” (2024) AG Funder News https://agfundernews.com/phytolon-attracts-funding-from-rich-products-ventures-for-natural-colors-via-precision-fermentationÂ
- "Spotlight on ingredient innovation” Global Insights https://eu-assets.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltb9ead2d4140390e0/blt2ce77e7ff1c49762/669fbdc943a82c73b640bf6e/Spotlight_20on_20ingredient_20innovation.pdf Â
