Lake colours are a crucial part of the synthetic food colour family, offering unique advantages in terms of dispersion, colour fastness, and stability in fat-rich and dry systems.
What Are Lake Food Colours?
Unlike synthetic water-soluble dyes, lake food colours are oil-dispersible and not soluble in water. They are created by precipitating water-soluble dyes onto a substrate such as aluminium hydroxide or other metallic salts. This process converts them into insoluble pigments that provide vibrant colour without dissolving into a solution.
This insoluble nature makes them perfect for products where water is absent or limited, ensuring colour stability and consistency throughout the shelf life of the product.
How Dycron Manufactures Lake Colours
At Dycron, our lake colour manufacturing process is carefully designed for purity, precision, and performance. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at our process:
1. Dye Selection and Precipitation
We begin by selecting high-quality certified dyes such as Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow, and Brilliant Blue. These are dissolved in water and then treated with a metallic salt to initiate the precipitation reaction. The dye attaches to the substrate, forming an insoluble lake pigment.
2. Filtration and Washing
The lake pigment is filtered and washed multiple times to remove any unreacted dye and impurities. This ensures a clean, stable pigment with low solubility and excellent tinting strength.
3. Drying and Milling
The filtered pigment is then dried in temperature-controlled dryers to ensure moisture removal without compromising colour quality. Once dry, the material is milled to achieve uniform particle size and smooth dispersion capability.
4. Quality Testing
Every batch undergoes strict quality control testing for parameters such as:
• Dye content
• Residual moisture
• pH
• Colour strength
• Compliance with FSSAI, FDA, and EU food safety standards
5. Packaging and Labeling
The final product is packaged in food-grade, moisture-proof containers that maintain colour integrity and prevent contamination. Each package is labeled with batch number, expiry, and compliance details to ensure full traceability.
Applications of Lake Food Colours
Lake colours are preferred in formulations where water solubility is not required. Common applications include:
• Coated tablets and capsules (pharmaceutical)
• Lipsticks and face powders (cosmetics)
• Confectionery coatings like candy shells and chewing gum
• Bakery icings and dry mixes
• Snack foods and spice blends
They also perform well in fatty foods like dairy-based desserts, margarine, and chocolate coatings due to their oil-dispersible nature.
Key Features of Dycron’s Lake Colours
• Excellent Stability: Heat, light, and pH-resistant
• Oil Dispersible: Perfect for fat-based applications
• Non-Bleeding: Doesn’t migrate or dissolve
• High Tint Strength: A little goes a long way
• Globally Approved: Manufactured as per FSSAI, FDA, EU, and WHO regulations
Why Choose Dycron?
With over two decades of expertise in food colour manufacturing, Dycron Colour Chem is a name trusted by global manufacturers. Our lake colours are developed in ISO-certified facilities using cutting-edge equipment and skilled technicians. We offer both standard and custom blends to meet your specific product needs.
Whether you’re looking for high-opacity pigments for tablet coatings or smooth dispersion for candy shells, our lake colours deliver consistency and brilliance in every particle.
Request a Sample or Enquire Now
Looking for a trusted supplier of food-grade lake colours? Contact Dycron today to request a sample, discuss your formulation needs, or get a quote tailored to your industry and application.
