Carotenoid coloring composition

1. A liquid coloring composition comprising:

(a) an oil-in-water emulsion comprising a carotenoid dissolved in an oil phase, wherein the oil phase is emulsified in an aqueous phase using a suitable emulsifier and wherein the oil phase is present in an amount of between 5% (w/w) to 40% (w/w) of the oil-in-water emulsion; and

(b) a formulation of water dispersible carotenoid particles encapsulated with a suitable hydrocolloid, wherein the hydrocolloid is present in an amount of at least 0.5% (w/w) of the formulation;

wherein the ratio of (a):(b) is from 1:10 to 10:1, the carotenoid content of each of (a) and (b) is at least 1% (w/w) of the resulting liquid coloring composition, and the total carotenoid content of (a) and (b) is up to 15% (w/w) of the resulting liquid coloring composition.

2. The liquid coloring composition according to claim 1 , wherein the oil phase is present in an amount of between 15% (w/w) to 25% (w/w) of (a).

3. The liquid coloring composition according to claim 1 , wherein the carotenoid of (a) is the same as the carotenoid of (b) and is selected from the group consisting of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, cis/trans isomers thereof and combinations thereof.

4. The liquid coloring composition according to claim 3 , wherein the carotenoid is beta-carotene.

5. The liquid coloring composition according to claim 4 , wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of lecithin, caseinate and a combination thereof.

6. The liquid coloring composition according to claim 4 , wherein the hydrocolloid is selected from the group consisting of non-modified starch, modified starch, milk protein, pea protein, beet pectin and combinations thereof.

7. The liquid coloring composition according to claim 4 , wherein the hydrocolloid is present in an amount of at least 5% (w/w) of the formulation.

8. A method for preparing a liquid coloring composition comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing an oil-in-water emulsion of a dissolved carotenoid using a suitable emulsifier by:

(i) preparing an aqueous phase;

(ii) preparing an oil phase by heating a fat comprising the carotenoid to a temperature suitable for dissolving the carotenoid; and

(iii) mixing the oil phase in the aqueous phase;

(b) preparing a formulation of carotenoid particles encapsulated in a suitable hydrocolloid by milling carotenoid particles in the presence of a suitable hydrocolloid; and

(c) mixing the oil-in-water emulsion of (a) with the encapsulated carotenoid particle formulation of (b) in a ratio of from 1:10 to 10:1,

wherein the carotenoid content of each of (a) and (b) is at least 1% (w/w) of the resulting liquid coloring composition and the total carotenoid content of (a) and (h) is up to 15% (w/w) of the resulting liquid composition.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in (a)(ii) the temperature suitable for dissolving the carotenoid is between 140° C. to 160° C.

10. A method of coloring cheese comprising the steps of:

(a) adding a starter culture, rennet and the liquid coloring composition according to claim 1 to milk to obtain a colored cheese milk;

(b) incubating the mixture under conditions favorable to the generation of curd and Whey fractions; and

(c) separating the curds from the whey to obtain colored curds,

(d) preparing colored cheese from the colored curds.

11. A food product, a beverage, an animal feed, a cosmetic or a drug comprising the liquid coloring composition according to claim 1 .

12. A food product according to claim 11 , wherein the food product is a cheese.

13. A method of coloring a food product, a beverage, an animal feed, a cosmetic or a drug, comprising adding the liquid coloring composition according to claim 1 to the food product, beverage, animal feed, cosmetic or drug.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the food product is a cheese.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein, in the liquid coloring composition, the carotenoid of (a) is the same as the carotenoid of (b) and is selected from the group consisting of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, cis/trans isomers thereof and combinations thereof.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein, in the liquid coloring composition, the carotenoid of (a) is the same as the carotenoid of (b) and is beta-carotene.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein, in the liquid coloring composition, the ratio of (a):(b) is from 1:5 to 5:1.

18. The liquid coloring composition according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of (a):(b) is from 1:5 to 5:1.

19. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in (c), the oil-in-water emulsion of (a) is mixed with the encapsulated carotenoid particle formulation of (b) in a ratio of from 1:5 to 5:1.