Debut Biotechnology, a startup located in San Diego, California, has announced a true breakthrough in the development of animal-free carmine. Thanks to a new class of enzyme, they have been able to bio-manufacture a vegan version of the intense red pigment that, up until now, has been derived from the cochineal beetle.
“Carmine is one of the hardest molecules to innovate. After a large investment and a lot of hard work, we are very proud to have discovered the all-important missing step in creating renewable carmine that enables us to go from sugar all the way through to this prized molecule,” said Joshua Britton, PhD, Founder and CEO of Debut.
To enable the bioproduction from a renewable low-cost source, Debut has combined its patented microbial production systems with cutting-edge cell-free biomanufacturing to overcome industrial limitation and improve bioproduction by 100-fold versus previous best-in-class attempts. This necessitated that Debut discover two enzymes and improve their performance to break through a known barrier in bioproduction of carmine.
Sustainable and safe supply
According to Debut, existing synthetic replacements for carmine have not been precise color matches, lacking the vibrancy, stability and formulation potential of animal-derived carmine. There are also concerns about synthetic equivalents. In January 2025, the FDA banned the use of synthetic Red No. 3 following claims that the additive is carcinogenic.
In contrast, Debut claims its biomanufactured carmine offers “unparalleled health, safety, animal-free and environmental advantages, in addition to ensuring a consistent supply chain that is not reliant on the migration pattern of a beetle.” Furthermore, Debut’s carminic acid is more than 95% pure versus the industry average of 30% or lower. The purity of carminic acid derived from the cochineal beetle is exceedingly low, typically 10%.
Biomanufactured carmine is also devoid of a specific protein found in beetle-derived carmine that is known to cause skin irritation, making it highly beneficial for beauty and food applications. Additionally, biotechnologically-obtained carmine boasts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Pilot-scale production for beauty
Debut recently completed pilot-scale bioproduction, enabling the formulation of carminic acid for beauty applications. As a first step, this will allow the company to supply carmine beauty, an industry first, soon to be followed by food and beverage applications.
The global carmine market is projected to reach a valuation of USD 91.8 billion by 2033, up from an estimated USD 50.8 billion in 2023, according to Market.us.
Last July, the California-based startup announced it had signed an agreement with L’Oréal to develop more than a dozen key bio-identical ingredients that will replace conventionally sourced ingredients currently used in the skin and hair care, and make-up products and fragrances the beauty giant markets globally. In January this year, Debut also announced a partnership with contract manufacturer KDC/one to rapidly create brand new ingredients through computational compound prediction.
