Hi all!  Recently some of my baking/cake customers have asked if there was any way I could find a natural food coloring to use for their future cakes.  In every case, their children can't have RED-40 due to allergies, hyperactivity/behavior issues, or skin reactions, but would really like to have a bit of color in their birthday cakes that they order from me.  I have been searching online, but I can't seem to find anything with good reviews.  Does anyone use a good USDA FOOD grade, natural coloring to tint frostings, cake batter, etc?  I would like to try a red color to start and if I find a company I like, I might experiment and get some other colors in the future.  I use Americolor gels now, but would be open to anything if it had good results.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

i haven't used them but if you have a whole foods nearby i think they sell them there -- you can certainly get them online with a google search but alas someone else will have to tell you how they work -- i mostly like to avoid food color for the most part -- and i know there are threads on here about that subject -- if i find some i'll post some links --

as you might could tell -- i skimmed your post -- now as i re-read i see you have already done online searches  my bad --

my son was one of the ones affected by red color btw -- 

ok i got one -- there is a way to use beets but it's kind of a formula, maybe that was for red velvet cake -- as i recall it did not hold the color when it was baked but there's a way around it  -- a bunch of stuff like that is available online -- blueberries for purple --turmeric turns everything yellow but i don't know how that would taste in icing --

y'know what -- i'd say use some colorful ribbons to spark it up -- wash them first -- the kids who react to food color should have the best cake possible and they don't need food color to have a sweet cool cake  -- i made my son a gigantic 16" cream puff/eclair race track for his birthday one year --

i applaud your concern and i think thinking outside the box is a better way to go -- you could use cocoa to make a contrasting color -- or some of the other ideas just for a contrast but white icing works! and titanium dioxide is no way to go either that stuff is creepy --

 i love & appreciate your heart to want to make it nice for them

Search for TruColor. It's all vegetable based colors.  I've been wanting to try them, just haven't gotten around to it yet.  I've seen rave reviews for the line, along with their airbrush color.  I think there are some shops on Etsy that sell it, and Amazon does have it. Not sure who has the best price. This link is on Amazon. 

TruColor

@-K8memphis ‍ - I believe there are a few Whole Foods locations in Pittsburgh (I'm in PA and Pittsburgh is about a hour from me), but I have never been to one of them.  Not sure if they are huge stores or small ones - which might have limited items.  I do go the "natural" look for the kids with dye allergies, but I have a few families that really want to get their child a birthday cake that looks like a birthday cake that their friends get.  I have done simple, non-color ones for them in the past, but they are asking if there is another option for future cakes.   

@rychevamp ‍ - Thank you!  I will look at that.  I didn't come across that brand while trying to research. 

I found this site truly by accident looking online     http://confectioncrafts.com/ - Everything else I'm finding is similar to what I currently use with Red 40 in it. 

It think this is going to start being requested more and more because more and more of my friends/family are finding their children can't tolerate Red 40!  (Including my 12 year old daughter and one of my best friends 5 year old son).  Thanks so much for the replies!  Anyone else with information about natural color options, please chime in!!  Especially if you've actually used a product.