What are your plant based food colors made from?

Our colors are a unique combination of all-natural plant sources, allowing you to enjoy nature's true rainbow palette with stunning shades. These gorgeous colors are made from fruits, vegetables, seeds, roots, and minerals. Derived from nature, they boast the greatest hues. These food colors are a healthy alternative to synthetic ingredients and artificial preservatives.

Happily made in the U.S.A by PRSM Sugar Co. (Previously known as TruColor.)

HOW DO I USE THEM?

For detailed instructions, click HERE for a detailed instruction card. A physical card, just like this, is included with your color order!

What is best for me? Plant Based Gel Paste Powders or Plant Based Liquid Colors?

The primary difference between the powders and liquids is color variation and depth.

Plant-Based Gel Paste Powders by SMöR provide more color variation than liquids.

Plant-Based Liquid Colors by SMöR are pretty straightforward. For example, our yellow liquids will either give you pale yellow or bright yellow—but may not achieve the full spectrum from banana to pear to lemon yellow that the powders can provide.

When adding natural color to icing or other sweet treats, consider the other ingredients in your batch and whether an acid is present. Acids can alter colors.

Note: Colors made with anthocyanins (from certain berries) may also require some science in your kitchen because they can change with even a little acid, such as lemon juice. This can be either beneficial or problematic for your color mixing!

What can I use the Plant Based POWDERS in?

Our powders work best for royal icing and buttercream, although liquids will give you more of a pastel color and are suitable for a limited range.

You can't really go wrong, but if you're aiming for perfection, keep reading!

Our POWDERS are ideal for:

Dough

Fondant

Buttercream

Royal Icing

Any delicate mixture that could break down easily

When adding natural color to icing or other sweet treats, keep in mind the other ingredients in your batch and whether an acid is present. Acids can alter colors.

Note: The term "water" refers to any liquid medium you might use in your sweet treats! For example, use powders in your egg white mixture for macarons.

What can I use the Plant Based LIQUIDS in?

The liquid colors were specifically designed for buttercream icing and fondant, but they can also be used in other elements.

Our Liquids are great for:

Buttercream (best option!)

Works well in other sweets like fondant and dough, but remember that it is a liquid (liquid gel consistency), so keep that in mind.

Super simple to use—just like your classic food color drops.

Requires more color to achieve darker hues in large batches of buttercream.

When adding natural color to icing or other sweet treats, you should consider the other ingredients in your batch, particularly whether an acid is present. Acids can alter the color.

Are your Plant Based Colors FDA Approved?

No, but here's why! SMoR Plant-Based Food Colors are considered natural food colors and are therefore “Exempt from Certification” by the FDA. They are also considered “Clean Label” because they do not contain petroleum-based synthetic FD&C dyes or artificial preservatives.

A finished color additive derived from naturally occurring raw materials that are processed without modifying the native chemical structure is considered "natural." These color additives are regulated by the FDA as either:

“Certified” (Synthetic Colors), or

“Exempt from Certification” (commonly referred to as Natural).

SMoR Plant-Based Colors are "Exempt from Certification," meaning purity and use standards are regulated, but batch certification is not required by the FDA to protect public health. Since the colors are derived from plants, fruits, vegetables, roots, seeds, and minerals, they do not pose a threat to consumers' health.

PDF HERE

Why is plant based food coloring so important?

Many bright, colorful foods are made with synthetic dyes and harsh chemicals that can negatively impact your health. We won’t go into too much detail here, but we are excited to offer plant-based food colors that come from nature’s sources.

Recently, the US FDA banned artificial colors, making these plant-based colors your new best friend!

Are your plant based food colors allergen free as well?

Yes, our colors are free of FD&C dyes, artificial preservatives, and common allergens including milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy. They are also gluten-free and GMO-free.

We have several places to find ingredients! They are listed on each bottle or jar plus there is an ingredient list HERE and you can always email us at hello@smorbake.com for more info.

Not at this time, but we’re excited to be working on “natural” sprinkle options for the near future. It will take some time, but we’re working hard to make it happen. We prioritized food coloring first because frosting (like buttercream and royal icing) is such a huge part of our sweet treats, and we wanted to get this product to you as soon as possible.

For food colors, store unused products in a cool, dry area away from heat and direct light. When stored correctly, the products will last up to 24 months.

Some sprinkle mixes contain metallic elements that are hard and are not meant for consumption. These elements are primarily for decorative purposes. We will be eliminating ALL sprinkle mixes with metallic elements and sprinkles that are not dye free by end of 2025.

Metallic elements in sprinkle mixes pose a choking hazard for small children and could potentially damage your teeth. It’s important to consume them with caution.

Cake decorators around the world have been using and eating dragees (similar to metallic elements) for decades. We will be discontinuing all sprinkle mixes with metallic elements by end of 2025.

The unique jumbo decorative rods are made with a thin compressed wheat semolina filling to maintain their shape, coated in pressed sugar, and covered with a non-toxic silver or gold food-color candy coating.

The metallic elements may contain silver color that is classified as edible in Canada, Europe, and most other countries. However, they are not yet approved by the FDA in the USA and are considered for decorative purposes only. We will be discontinuing all sprinkle mixes with metallic elements by end of 2025.

Use the provided information and consider regional regulations to make your own determination regarding the edibility of metallic elements in sprinkle mixes.

Yes! Find our privacy policy HERE