Blue raspberry flavor

{{short description|Food flavoring}}

{{Use American English|date=March 2022}}

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File:Italian ice.jpg at the Taste of Chicago festival]]

Blue raspberry is a manufactured flavoring and food coloring for candy, snack foods, syrups, and soft drinks.{{cite web |author1=Matt Soniak |date=10 November 2015 |title=What is a blue raspberry? |url=https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/horticulture/fruits-1/documents/what-is-a-blue-raspberry |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129082313/https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/horticulture/fruits-1/documents/what-is-a-blue-raspberry |archive-date=2022-01-29 |access-date=8 April 2022 |publisher=North Dakota State University}}{{cite web |author1=Michael Y. Park |title=What even is blue raspberry anyway? |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/what-is-blue-raspberry-flavor |publisher=Bon Appétit, Condé Nast |access-date=8 April 2022 |date=1 August 2016}}{{cite web |last=Rothman |first=Lauren |title=The Strange Origin Of Blue Raspberry |website=Tasting Table |date=15 February 2022 |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/767501/the-strange-origin-of-blue-raspberry/ |access-date=14 February 2025}} The flavor does not derive from any species of raspberry, but rather was developed using esters that are part of the flavor profile of pineapple, banana and cherry. Sugar is commonly added to create taste appeal for the blue raspberry flavor.

Food products labeled as blue raspberry flavor are commonly dyed with a bright blue synthetic food coloring, such as brilliant blue FCF (also called FD&C Blue No. 1) or European food coloring number E133.{{cite web |title=E133: Brilliant Blue FCF |url=http://www.food-info.net/uk/e/e133.htm |publisher=Food-Info |access-date=8 April 2022 |date=2022}} The blue color was used to differentiate raspberry-flavored foods from cherry-, watermelon-, and strawberry-flavored foods, each of which is typically red. The use of blue dye also partially is due to the FDA's 1976 banning of amaranth-based Red Dye No. 2, which had previously been heavily used in raspberry-flavored products.