The present invention is directed to an edible coating comprising rhodoxanthin. This edible coating has a red value a* of at least 36 at the CIELAB color scale.In embodiments of the present invention the edible coating further comprises β-carotene or 8-apo-β-caroten-8-al.This edible coating is preferably used for coating confectionary such as chocolate lentils.The present invention is also directed to precursors of such edible coatings such as sugar syrup and sugar-free alternatives, both comprising rhodoxanthin and optionally β-carotene or 8-apo-β-caroten-8-al.
