Microorganisms and microalgae as sources of pigments for food use: a scientific oddity or an industrial reality?

Pigments producing microorganisms and microalgae are quite common in Nature. However, there is a long way from the Petri dish to the market place. Five productions, using Monascus, Penicillium, Dunaliella, Haematococcus and Porphyridium, are discussed. Some companies invested a lot of money as any combination of new source and/or new pigment drives a lot of experimental work, process optimization, toxicological studies and regulatory issues. Time will tell whether investments were cost-effective. Future trends involve combinatorial engineering and production of niche pigments not found in plants.