FDA approves new blue food dye derived from gardenia fruit

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new blue color additive derived from the fruit of the gardenia, a flowering evergreen. 

The color is approved for use in sports drinks, flavored or enhanced non-carbonated water, fruit drinks, ready-to-drink teas as well as hard and soft candy.

Petitioned by the Gardenia Blue Interest Group, the additive is made by refining the compound genipin — derived from crushed Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit, which is often used in traditional Chinese medicine — by reacting it with soy protein hydrolysate.