Purple Sweet Potatoes Offer A Natural Color Alternative For Foods, Beverages

Natural colors derived from vegetables are making a comeback, thanks to consumer demand, the needs of manufacturers and the realization that the antioxidant-rich compounds offer health benefits. According to a Texas A & M University professor, certain root crops – black carrots, purple sweet potatoes and purple carrots, etc. – are being grown specifically to meet the growing natural color needs of the food and beverage industry. Purple sweet potatoes (PSPs), in addition to tasting like regular varieties, offer a range of colors, including light pink, rose, red, and deep purple that are used in  fruit drinks, vitamin waters, ice cream and yogurt. PSPs have the same healthy anthocyanin pigments found in black cherries.