Development and storage stability of ice pops with natural colourants

Frozen desserts are widely consumed due to their refreshing nature and appealing sensory characteristics. Among these, ice pops are popular products typically formulated using water, sweeteners, stabilizers, and synthetic colourants. However, increased consumer awareness of the potential health risks associated with artificial additives has driven a growing demand for natural alternatives. In this context, plant-based pigments derived from edible flowers offer a promising approach for developing clean-label frozen desserts. The present study focuses on the development of ice pops using concentrated pigment extract derived from edible flower petals. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (hibiscus), Clitoria ternatea (blue pea), and Carthamus tinctorius (safflower). A green-coloured ice pop was also developed by combining blue pea and safflower pigments. The objective was to replace synthetic colourants while evaluating the physicochemical, functional, and microbiological characteristics of the developed products. Different pigment concentrations were tested to optimize colour intensity, stability, and overall product quality. The optimized formulations were identified as incorporating pigment levels equivalent to 4.5% for hibiscus (red), 1.5% for blue pea (blue), and 1% for both safflower (yellow) and the green combination, relative to the total volume of the ice pop mixture. These concentrations produced desirable colour characteristics with good stability. The developed ice pops were evaluated for melting behaviour, texture properties using the shear cut method, colour characteristics using the (L*, a*, b*) system, total phenolic content, flavonoid content, anthocyanin content, hydroxyl value, and microbiological properties. Colour and texture analysis confirmed distinct colour attributes and improved hardness in coloured samples compared to the control. Melting behaviour analysis showed that the ice pops melted slowly and uniformly, indicating good stability. This may be due to the presence of stabilizers and concentrated natural pigments, which helped maintain the structure and reduce rapid melting. Microbiological analysis confirmed that all samples were within safe limits and that freezer storage effectively inhibited microbial growth. Overall, the study demonstrates that natural pigments derived from edible flowers can be successfully incorporated into ice pops to produce visually appealing, functionally enriched, and microbiologically safe products, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic colourants