Jagua (Genipin-glycine) Blue

Identifiers

Jagua (Genipin-Glycine) Blue
CAS No. 1314879-21-4
INS No. 183

Physical Description

Jagua blue is a water-soluble blue colorant. It is obtained by reacting genipin, present in the extract of unripe Genipa americana Linne (Rubiaceae) fruit, with stoichiometric equivalents of glycine. The main colouring component in Jagua blue is the genipinglycine polymer. Additionally, low-molecular-weight components, specifically three genipin-glycine dimers, which are also blue, are present at low levels.

Specifications

Regulatory Approvals

JECFA: ADI of 0-11 mg/kg bw/day (89th meeting, 2020). There are more than 20 food categories for which maximum permitted levels (MPLs) for jagua (genipin-glycine) blue (INS No. 183) have been adopted in the General Standard of Food Additives.
USA: Jagua (genipin-glycine) blue is exempt from certification and was permanently listed in 2023. Jagua (genipin-glycine) blue can be safely used to color flavored milk; dairy drinks and substitutes; dairy and dairy alternative yogurt; ice cream, frozen dairy and dairy alternative desserts, puddings, gelatins, ices, sorbets; ready-to-eat multicolored cereals, flavored potato chips, tortilla, corn, and other chips; candy and chewing gum; non-alcoholic fruit based/ flavored drinks, nutritional beverages and smoothies; flavored cream cheese based spreads; and icings, frostings, jams, syrups, and fruit toppings and fillings, provided the amount of jagua (genipin-glycine) blue does not exceed levels consistent with GMP (21 CFR 73.225).
EU: ADI of 34 mg/kg bw per day or 12 mg/kg bw per day expressed as blue polymer (EFSA, 2025).

Safety Reviews

Safety evaluation of certain food additives (Eighty-ninth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) WHO food additives series No. 80, 2022. Available online

FDA Final Rule. 88 FR 75490; Nov 3, 2023. Available online

EFSA FAF Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings), Castle, L., Andreassen, M., Aquilina, G., Bastos, M. L., Boon, P., Fallico, B., FitzGerald, R., Frutos Fernandez, M. J., Grasl-Kraupp, B., Gundert-Remy, U., Gürtler, R., Houdeau, E., Kurek, M., Louro, H., Morales, P., Passamonti, S., Barat Baviera, J. M., Degen, G., … Ruggeri, L. (2025). Safety evaluation of jagua (genipin-glycine) blue as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9738. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9738