Butterfly Pea Flower Natural Blue Food Colour — Halal Bulk Supplier in Malaysia
Bionutricia Manufacturing Sdn Bhd supplies butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea L.) extract as a natural blue food colour to beverage, confectionery, dairy and nutraceutical manufacturers across Asia, the EU, the US and the GCC. Our extracts are produced in a JAKIM-HALAL, FSSC 22000, GMP and HACCP-certified facility in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, with US FDA registration and a Malaysian patent on our ultrasonic extraction process (MY-188945-A). If you are formulating a clean-label product and need a single-source halal supplier of natural blue colour — powder, liquid concentrate, or custom spray-dry — this page is the technical and commercial brief.
What is butterfly pea flower extract?
Butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea L.) is a tropical legume cultivated across Southeast Asia. The deep-blue petals contain ternatins — a family of polyacylated anthocyanins — which deliver a vivid blue hue at neutral pH and shift to purple, pink or red as pH drops. This pH-responsive behaviour makes butterfly pea one of the few natural alternatives to synthetic Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) approved for use in foods and beverages. In 2021 the US FDA approved butterfly pea flower extract as a colour additive exempt from certification — confirming it for use in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, dairy analogues, ice cream, yoghurt, sports drinks, confectionery, and breakfast cereal coatings. The EU and most ASEAN regulators permit it as a natural colouring food.
Why food formulators choose butterfly pea over other natural blues
- Clean label: “Butterfly pea flower extract” appears on the ingredient line — no E-number, no “artificial colour” declaration.
- Halal & vegan: Plant-derived, no animal carriers, no ethanol residue in our water-extracted grade.
- pH-responsive: One ingredient, multiple shades — blue at pH 6–8, violet at pH 4–6, pink at pH <3 (useful for “magic” beverage and cocktail concepts).
- Heat-stable in spray-dried form: Our encapsulated powder tolerates short-duration HTST and UHT processing better than the raw infusion.
- Light antioxidant profile: Ternatins are flavonoid antioxidants — a functional bonus on the spec sheet for wellness positioning.
Bionutricia butterfly pea specifications
| Attribute | Butterfly Pea Extract Powder | Butterfly Pea Extract Liquid |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Clitoria ternatea L., flower | |
| Form | Spray-dried, free-flowing | Water-based concentrate |
| Solubility | Water-soluble | Miscible in water-based systems |
| Colour at pH 7 | Bright blue (Pantone-equivalent on request) | Bright blue |
| Standardisation | Total anthocyanins ≥ 1.0% (HPLC, custom on request) | Brix-standardised batch-to-batch |
| Dosage in finished product | 0.05–0.5% w/w typical | 0.1–2.0% w/w typical |
| Bulk MOQ | 25 kg (spray-dry minimum) | 20 L |
| Retail SKU | n/a (B2B only at present) | 80 g / 1 kg / bulk — view product |
| Shelf life | 24 months, sealed, <25 °C, <65% RH | 18 months refrigerated |
Applications
- Beverages: RTD teas, sports drinks, isotonic powders, dairy alternatives, alcoholic seltzers, cocktail mixers (incl. pH-shift “colour-change” SKUs).
- Confectionery: Gummies, hard candy, chocolate inclusions, jelly cups.
- Bakery: Cake batter, macaron shells, mooncake fillings, kuih.
- Dairy & frozen: Yoghurt, ice cream, kefir, plant-based milks.
- Nutraceutical: Effervescent tablets, sachets, gummies — pairs well with our liposomal vitamin C.
Certifications — why facility-level matters
For halal B2B supply, paperwork-only halal claims are not enough. Bionutricia’s certifications cover the facility and process, not just the finished good:
- JAKIM HALAL (Malaysia) — recognised across the GCC, ASEAN and most halal-import markets
- FSSC 22000 (SGS-audited)
- GMP, HACCP, MeSTI (Ministry of Health Malaysia)
- US FDA registered
- Malaysian patent on our ultrasonic extraction process (MY-188945-A)
Read our deeper sourcing guide: What JAKIM-Certified Means at the Supplier Level, and our 2026 buyer’s guide on How to Choose a Halal Botanical Extract Manufacturer in Malaysia.
Lead time, MOQ and how to order
Standard bulk lead time is 3–5 weeks from confirmed PO and approved COA. Spray-dry MOQ starts at 25 kg; custom standardisation (anthocyanin %), carrier swap (maltodextrin / gum acacia / tapioca), and private-label packaging available. Site visits and remote video audits welcome for qualified B2B prospects. Request a sample, COA and quotation: Contact Bionutricia or email sales@bionutricia.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is butterfly pea flower extract approved as a natural food colour?
Yes. The US FDA approved butterfly pea flower extract as a colour additive exempt from certification in 2021 for a wide range of food categories including beverages, dairy, confectionery and frozen desserts. The EU and most ASEAN markets permit it as a natural colouring food.
Is Bionutricia’s butterfly pea extract halal-certified?
Yes. Our butterfly pea extracts are produced in a JAKIM HALAL-certified facility in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, with halal coverage applied at the facility and process level — not paperwork-only. JAKIM certification is internationally recognised across the GCC, ASEAN, and most halal-import markets.
What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for bulk?
Spray-dry powder MOQ is 25 kg per batch. Liquid concentrate is 20 L. Smaller pilot quantities are available for R&D and formulation trials — contact our B2B team for terms.
Does the colour change with pH?
Yes — that is a defining feature. At pH 6–8 the extract delivers a bright blue; pH 4–6 shifts to violet; below pH 3 it turns pink or red. This makes butterfly pea ideal for “colour-change” beverage and cocktail concepts where citrus is added at point of consumption.
Is it heat-stable enough for HTST or UHT processing?
Our spray-dried, encapsulated grade tolerates short-duration HTST (72–85 °C, 15–30 s) and brief UHT exposure with manageable shade loss. For prolonged retort processing we recommend post-process addition or our liposomal-encapsulated variant. Stability trials can be arranged for your specific process.
How is it different from synthetic Brilliant Blue (FD&C Blue No. 1, E133)?
Butterfly pea is plant-derived, halal, vegan and clean-label — declared simply as “butterfly pea flower extract” on the ingredient line, with no E-number and no “artificial colour” declaration. Synthetic Blue 1 offers higher tinctorial strength but cannot be used in halal-certified or clean-label SKUs.
Can you supply custom standardisation or a private-label SKU?
Yes. We offer custom anthocyanin standardisation (HPLC), carrier swaps (maltodextrin, gum acacia, tapioca starch), pH-buffered grades, and private-label retail packing. Brand-owner contract packing is available for confidential projects under NDA.
Which markets do you currently export to?
Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Korea and the Middle East.
What dosage do I need in a finished beverage?
Typical usage is 0.05–0.5% w/w for the spray-dried powder, or 0.1–2.0% w/w for the liquid concentrate, depending on target shade and pH. We provide an application worksheet with each sample shipment.
Do you provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and allergen statement?
Yes. Every batch ships with a COA covering identity (HPTLC fingerprint), assay (total anthocyanins by HPLC), heavy metals, microbiology and allergens. Halal and FSSC 22000 certificates are available on request.
Butterfly Pea Blue — Formulation & Supply FAQ
What gives butterfly pea its blue colour?
The blue comes from ternatins (a group of anthocyanins) in Clitoria ternatea flowers. We supply it as a standardised, spray-dried extract powder and a liquid concentrate — no synthetic dyes, fillers or preservatives.
How does pH affect the colour?
It is pH-responsive: vivid blue at roughly pH 5.5–6.5, shifting to purple in mildly acidic systems and to pink/red below about pH 4. This makes it ideal for colour-change beverages, but formulators should fix a target pH for a consistent shade.
Is it heat- and light-stable?
It holds colour well in normal food processing, but like all natural anthocyanin colours, prolonged high heat and strong light will gradually fade it. We provide stability guidance per application so you can dose and process for shelf-life.
What applications is butterfly pea blue used in?
Beverages and RTD drinks, mocktails and colour-change drinks, confectionery, bakery, dairy and ice cream. Typical usage is around 0.1–1% depending on the depth of blue required.
Is it halal-certified?
Yes — JAKIM halal, made in an FSSC 22000, GMP, HACCP, US FDA-registered and MeSTI facility, with a COA on every lot. Suitable for export to GCC, Indonesia and ASEAN halal markets.
Powder or liquid — which should I choose?
Powder suits dry blends, premixes and long shelf-life; liquid concentrate suits ready-to-use beverage and syrup dosing. We supply both and can advise per formulation.
