One of the latest ventures to come out of Penn State, Persea Naturals, began with an unintended discovery. Gregory R. Ziegler, professor of food science in the College of Agricultural Sciences, was extracting starch from avocado pits when he noticed something interesting. When avocado pits are pulverized, an enzymatic reaction produces a bright orange color. After extracting the starch, Ziegler just couldn’t get the color to wash away.
Piquing his curiosity, this observation launched a multiyear research endeavor by Ziegler to identify the colored compound, alongside Joshua Lambert, associate professor of food science.
“I couldn’t believe that this reaction hadn’t been described before, and with a growing consumer interest in natural food colors, the timing couldn’t have been better," said Ziegler. “I enjoy working in ‘Pasteur’s Quadrant,’ conducting fundamental research with a practical application. It’s a prime reason I landed in food science.”
The pair’s research, which proved both the stability of the color, and the wide spectrum of orange, yellow and red hues available, led them to a simple conclusion: the substance would be a perfect natural food color.
Persea Naturals was born, with plans to bring a natural food color product line, AvoColor, to the commercial market. "Persea" comes from Persea americana, the scientific Latin plant name for the avocado plant.
Their opportunity is a big one. Food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly looking to replace artificial ingredients with natural ones. Not only is AvoColor more vibrant and stable than most other natural options, it’s likely to be extremely cost-effective. The source, avocado pits, are currently discarded in large volumes by the prepared food and restaurant industries.
For more information: www.avocolor.com
