Butterfly Pea Flower

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea) is an edible flower native to tropical Asia, widely used as a natural blue-to-purple food colourant. Its vivid colour comes from polyacylated anthocyanins called ternatins, which exhibit pH-dependent hue shifts from blue in neutral/alkaline conditions to pink/purple in acidic conditions.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

The ingredient has a long history of traditional use in Southeast Asia without apparent adverse health effects at food-colouring doses. EFSA noted potential in vitro haemolytic and cytotoxic effects from cyclotides present in the whole dried flower, particularly when prepared as a herbal infusion, due to limited toxicokinetic data; this concern is lower for the water extract used as a colour additive. No ADI has been formally established by EFSA or JECFA; the FDA has approved the extract as a colour additive exempt from batch certification for specific food categories.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Approved as Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers (Clitoria ternatea) under application 61/Std/PA/FSSAI/2019 per FSS (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Approved as a colour additive exempt from batch certification (21 CFR Part 73). Permitted in sport drinks, fruit drinks, juices, alcoholic beverages, dairy drinks, ready-to-drink teas, nutritional beverages, gums, candy, coated nuts, ice creams, yogurt, ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, snack mixes, hard pretzels, plain potato chips, plain corn chips, tortilla chips, and multigrain chips.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Under_review	EFSA (2022) reviewed a notification of dried Clitoria ternatea flowers as a traditional food from a third country under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA raised safety concerns about cyclotide exposure when used for herbal infusions, while noting traditional use for food colouring in Asia is without apparent adverse effects. Butterfly pea flower extract does not currently hold an E number or EU authorisation as a food colour or novel food.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — EFSA (2022) noted literature reporting possible uterotonic effects of a cyclotide found in Clitoria ternatea, warranting caution during pregnancy especially with concentrated infusions of the whole dried flower.

Infants — EFSA identified limited toxicokinetic and in vivo safety data for cyclotides present in the whole dried flower; concentrated preparations (e.g., herbal teas) are not considered safe for infants given the data gaps.

Other — Individuals on immunosuppressant or anticoagulant therapy should consult a doctor, as in vitro data suggest butterfly pea anthocyanins may modulate immune and platelet pathways at higher intakes.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Regulatory Status of Color Additives: Butterfly Pea Flower Extract. hfpappexternal.fda.gov
2EFSA. Notification of dried flowers of Clitoria ternatea L. as a traditional food from a third country pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, 2022. efsa.europa.eu
3PubMed. Anthocyanins From Clitoria ternatea Flower: Biosynthesis, Extraction, Stability, Antioxidant Activity, and Applications, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4FDA. FDA Approves Three Food Colors from Natural Sources, 2021. fda.gov
5FSSAI. List of product(s)/ingredient(s) applications Approved under Food Safety and Standards (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017, 2020. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched5 citations