Xarocol: Natural Red Pigment for Poultry

Pigmentation · Natural Carotenoids

Paprika red for the last points on the color fan

Xarocol is a saponified paprika extract delivering capsanthin in the free, readily absorbed form, used on top of a yellow base to reach a specified color target.

Species

Chickens and minor poultry for fattening, laying hens, minor poultry for laying

Application

Compound feed, premix, in combination with a yellow pigment

Active principle

Saponified paprika extract (capsanthin)

Feed Quality

The last points on the fan are the expensive ones

Yellow and red xanthophylls compete for the same absorption pathway, so the yolk has to be saturated with yellow before capsanthin does anything visible. What red does is move the hue, and it is the last few points on the fan where the value of a good red is shown. Xarocol is the paprika-based red for that job.

Yellow and red xanthophylls are absorbed and deposited together and compete for the same absorption pathway. Added before the yellow base is saturated, red is wasted; added in excess, it pushes the hue past the target. And because the EU caps the combined carotenoid and xanthophyll content of complete feed, every unit of red is a unit of yellow that cannot be used, which makes the ratio rather than the dose the thing to get right.

*All products, services, and recommendations are country-dependent and may differ based on local compliance.

Feed Quality

How pigmentation works

0 Red on top.

Capsanthin from paprika shifts the result towards the red end of the color fan. The yellow-to-red ratio sets the final fan score.

0 Yellow first.

Yellow and red xanthophylls are absorbed and deposited together and compete for the same absorption pathway. In practice the yolk must first be saturated with yellow xanthophylls before added capsanthin shifts the hue.

0 Free-form capsanthin.

The extract is supplied saponified, so the capsanthin is present in the free form in which it is absorbed rather than as esters.

0 Deposition, not synthesis.

Poultry cannot synthesize carotenoids. Every unit of color in the yolk or the skin was absorbed from the diet, which is why bioavailability determines the cost per color fan point.

Feed Quality

Products in the range

Xarocol

Consistent, uniform natural paprika red

A natural red pigment for egg yolk and broiler skin, based on capsanthin extracted from paprika, available in different forms and concentrations. It delivers predictable, uniform results with efficient absorption for high bioavailability, and is used in combination with yellow carotenoids to reach a specified color target.

Form

Orange-reddish powder

Target species

Chickens and minor poultry for fattening, laying hens, minor poultry for laying

Active principle

Saponified paprika extract (capsanthin)

Application

Compound feed, premix, in combination with a yellow pigment

Packaging

25 kg bag

Shelf life

24 months

Availability

Global

Feed Quality

Technical notes

Ratio, not dose.

The yellow-to-red ratio sets the final fan score. Increasing the red without a saturated yellow base changes the cost and not the result.

Combined carotenoid ceiling.

EU maximum content for lutein-rich Tagetes erecta extract (2a161b) is 50 mg/kg complete feed at 12% moisture, and the combined total with other authorized carotenoids and xanthophylls must not exceed 50 mg/kg. Where a yellow and a red pigment are used together, both count against the same ceiling.

Feed Quality

Where it fits

Xarocol is specified once the yellow base is settled. Its job is the last part of the move along the color fan, in markets whose target sits at the red end. Our specialists can model the combination for your target and your basal diet.

Related programs and services

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Model the yellow-to-red ratio, not the dose

Tell us your target color fan score and your basal diet, and we will model the pigment combination.