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The latest initiative comes more than three decades after the colorant was barred from cosmetics and non-oral medications due to potentially causing cancer.

The ultra-thin colorant is around two microns thick, and although less reflective, it's visibly blue and reflects UV well, possibly paving the way for new colorant methods.

"It shows that nature has evolved to use a really neat trick, an ultrathin layer for an important colorant," added Rox.

He says his discovery of jagua at the market in Quibdó was a moment of serendipity, and its use as a natural food colorant has little to do with the traditional knowledge of body painting.

After nearly 20 years of research to identify the chemical origins of the blue color and convert it into a stable dye, a jagua-based colorant is likely to be approved for use in the United States and other countries soon.