Impact of Conventional and Advanced Techniques on Stability of Natural Food Colourants

Natural food colourants are gaining momentum in the food industry due to their clean-label appeal, safety, and potential health benefits. However, their practical application is often constrained by instability under environmental stressors such as pH fluctuations, heat, light, and oxygen. In response, both traditional and innovative strategies have emerged to improve pigment stability, with some studies reporting up to 50-80% retention of colour intensity under optimised conditions. Most existing research focuses on extraction, with limited emphasis on post-processing stability. This article reviews a wide range of food processing strategies aimed at enhancing the stability of natural pigments. It covers conventional and emerging approaches, including natural chemical stabilisers such as co-pigments, antioxidants, and metal ion chelators, physicochemical methods such as micro- and nanoencapsulation using biopolymers, and physical interventions involving drying technologies, particle size modification, and protective packaging. Modern technologies such as high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, and cold plasma are discussed as promising non-thermal alternatives, demonstrating 20-70% improvement in pigment retention compared to untreated controls. By integrating these diverse approaches, this article highlights current advancements, identifies knowledge gaps, and discusses future directions to support the development of stable, sustainable, and functional natural colourant systems for next-generation food products. Collectively, these approaches demonstrate significant potential to improve the performance and resilience of natural pigments in complex food systems.