Michroma
Eat with your eyes naturally
- Founded
- 2019
- Employees*
- 1-10
- Funding to Date*
- $450K
- Website
- michroma.co
Our colors are made from food, and they are actually nutritious. Our pigments are a metabolite called azaphilones, which have been validated in scientific testing to have antioxidant properties.
The FDA guidelines for the 9 synthetic dyes currently on the market (8 are petroleum-based) were established based on animal studies conducted between 1966 and 1987. Once a food additive has been cleared, there’s no requirement to reassess its safety.
The vast majority of food dyes used today are synthetic chemicals derived from petroleum which have been linked to allergies, hyperactivity, and even cancer. Biocolorants do exist, but they are expensive to use and don’t hold their color when cooked or processed; insect-based dyes aren’t halal, vegan or kosher.
Michroma’s sustainable solution uses edible fungi cells that express the natural colorant into the bioreactor. No solvents are needed to extract and purify the color. The performance characteristics of their dyes are far superior to existing biocolorants.