A skyrocketing trend toward naturally-sourced, plant-based ingredients is apparent within the flavors, fragrance, food and beverage, and personal care sectors. 

The inclination toward natural-sourced dyes is emerging as well, as the dye market is witnessing a growing consumer preference for naturally sourced inks. 

This trend aligns with increasing awareness of the depletion of natural resources, resulting in efforts to use sustainable alternatives as opposed to petrochemical-derived ingredients. 

The transition toward natural dyes is evident as the global natural dyes market is forecasted to grow approximately 11% between 2018 and 2024, with a value of about $5 billion by 2024.^1,2 

Although the trend is pointing towards naturally-derived sources, manufacturer use of petrochemical synthetic dyes still exists as these ingredients require lower costs to produce larger quantities and more color varieties in comparison to their biomass-derived counterparts.³ 

In order to confirm whether manufacturers are formulating dye with synthetic petrochemical-derived ingredients or plant-based ingredients, third-party laboratory analysis of ingredients is crucial.

Carbon-14 Testing Distinguishes Naturally Sourced From Fossil-Derived

Increasing preference for plant-derived inks is encouraging manufacturers to submit samples for carbon-14 testing to determine the portion of ingredients sourced from biomass ingredients. 

Biobased testing laboratory Beta Analytic uses Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to measure the carbon-14 content in a given sample. Since all living or recently expired material contains a known level of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 while fossil fuel-derived petrochemicals do not contain any carbon-14, the AMS result indicates the percentage of naturally sourced versus fossil-derived components in a sample.

Carbon-14 results of ink ingredients are reported as “% biobased carbon content” to reflect the biomass-based portion of the ink. This result can range from 0% to 100% biobased carbon content. A percentage between 0% and 100% indicates that the analyzed material is a mixture of both biomass-sourced and fossil fuel-derived petrochemical ingredients.⁴ 

Conclusion

To keep up with the shift towards natural sources, ink manufacturers are transitioning from using petrochemical-based ingredients to biomass-derived alternatives. As the preference for naturally sourced material continues, carbon-14 analysis plays a key role in distinguishing ingredient sources, indicating whether or not the material tested is truly derived from natural biological material. As a result, the percentage of biobased content comprising ink material can be clearly demonstrated to manufacturers and consumers. 

Haley Gershon, marketing manager for Beta Analytic, joined the company in 2018. Her primary role involves leading marketing projects on an international level for multiple laboratory services within cosmetics, food & flavors, bioplastics, renewables, and biofuels industries. Gershon has an environmental science background with a double degree in Ecosystem Science & Policy and Political Science plus a Sustainability Certificate from the University of Miami.


Sources

1. PR Newswire Association. $5 Billion Natural Dyes Market – Global Outlook and Forecasts 2019-2024. (2019 February 18). Accessed here:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5-billion-natural-dyes-market—global-outlook-and-forecasts-2019-2024-300797306.html 

2. Business Wire. The Global Market for Natural Dyes, 2019 to 2024 – Leading Vendors are Focusing on the Development & Commercialization of Robotic Technology to Sustain Market Competition – ResearchAndMarkets.com. (2019 February 24). Accessed here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190224005075/en/Global-Market-Natural-Dyes-2019-2024 

3. Sengupta, S., Singh, B.R. Natural, “Green” Dyes for the Textile Industry. Fibre 2 Fashion. (2006 December). Accessed here:

https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/951/natural-green-dyes-for-the-textile-industry  

4 Beta Analytic. Understanding Biobased Carbon Content Measurement. Accessed here: https://www.betalabservices.com/biobased/biomass.html