Natural color creativity: Exploring unconventional bold hues, stunning shades and self-expression

03 Apr 2024 --- There is an increasing demand for coloring food ingredients that offer clean label options across F&B applications. This is often accompanied by higher expectations for stability and color yield. Suppliers are seeing an increase in color production outside the traditional agronomic approach. We speak to a range of key food coloring suppliers, including GNT, Givaudan Sense Colour, ADM and Döhler, who share their insights in the evolving space of natural food colors.

“Biotechnology has opened the door to explore novel pigment sources and optimize manufacturing methods that can reduce their environmental footprint,” says Catalina Ospina, technical marketing specialist at Sense Colour, Givaudan.

“An example of this is the newly developed source for acid-stable phycocyanin, obtained from the bioculture of Galdieria sulphuraria, an extremophile microalga that was isolated from volcanic hot springs.” 

According to Ospina, this breakthrough finally allows glistening blues in low-pH drinks and confectionery. It will soon be available in selected markets under the brand, Everzure Galdieria.

Alongside Sense Colour, Givaudan’s portfolio of Vegebrite coloring foodstuffs, the company recently launched two new ingredients. Vegebrite High Concentration Black Carrot Liquid and Powder are concentrates that deliver intense reds in low pH applications, with extremely competitive cost in use when compared to regular black carrot coloring juices. 

Vegebrite High Concentration Orange Carrot delivers warm oranges in applications like sweet goods, dairy and beverages.“The other ingredient is our Vegebrite High Concentration Orange Carrot, a carrot juice concentrate that’s rich in carotenoids,” adds Ospina. “The ingredient delivers warm oranges in applications like sweet goods, dairy and beverages while also providing a cost-effective solution in a familiar, label-friendly ingredient.”

Keeping labels “consumer-friendly”
Ospina believes these “remarkable additions” can be used by customers to enhance the visual appeal of their foods and drinks while keeping the label consumer-friendly. 

Charlotte Koehler, global BU colors manager at Döhler, says: “Consumer trends toward using more natural and organic products clearly increase the demand for natural colors. The desire for natural products not only to be natural but also to successfully demonstrate the way in which they are sourced and processed is becoming far more important for both customers and consumers alike.”

Meanwhile, Kelly Newsome, senior global marketing manager for Colors & Savory Flavors at ADM, highlights that food companies in Europe have led the way in shifting to naturally-derived color solutions. “Now, North America is taking a closer look at food colors, with particular scrutiny in the US on color ingredients like titanium dioxide (TiO2) and FD&C Red #3 (Erythrosine).”

“Consumers keen on purchasing products with so-called clean labels are also taking notice, with 75% and 73% of North American and European consumers, respectively, agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement, ‘It is important that food and drink products do not contain artificial colors.’”

However, consumers still want enjoyable experiences and are unwilling to sacrifice appearance, taste and cost to ensure a product does not contain artificial colors, flags Newsome. 

“This comes at a time when consumers are leaning into unconventional, bold hues in foods and beverages, leading to more self-expression and exploration. Consumers’ desire for eye-catching culinary moments is often showcased in stunning shades in sweet treats, frozen desserts, cocktails and savory dishes. Picture a fiery red caramelized strawberry tart, a bright pistachio green cupcake or a vibrant violet mocktail variation on the classic aviation cocktail,” she details. 

Bridging the color gap
To bridge the gap between desires and demands for clean labels, naturally-derived color solutions from botanical and plant extracts are coming to the fore, remarks Emina Goodman, senior director for Colors at ADM. 

“These ingredients must remain stable during various formulation conditions and throughout shelf life to ensure their bright and bold visual appeal comes through,” she says. 

“Stability and consistency are the top asks from our customers when looking to incorporate colors derived from natural sources.”

White color solutions are a significant element in confectionery, icings, dairy and plant-based dairy products and more. An ideal white color solution can also help overlaid colors stand out, creating even brighter yellows, greens, purples and more. ADM’s PearlEdge line of proprietary white solutions provides food and beverage brands with a stable, clean label alternative to TiO2. Visually intriguing opportunities also lie in layering different colors, such as in galaxy colors.

Derived from natural sources, each solution within the PearlEdge line delivers brilliant white shades and provides key uniformity. For beverages, the company’s PearlEdge Splash and Splash+ uses proprietary emulsion technology to support important uniformity and opacity. “Further, PearlEdge Silk, Satin or Shine are excellent complements for bold overlaid colors, in addition to smoothing out coatings and ensuring glossy surfaces in candies and supplements,” notes Goodman.

Koehler at Döhler sees a growing interest in natural purple and blues with different shades yet originating from the same botanical source. “Colors that are based on anthocyanins from a vegetable source, such as black carrot, offer a wide range of options here and are becoming increasingly popular to meet the needs of consumers.”

Moreover, Elijah Church, head of BU colors at Döhler North America, says there is significant variation by region, but in confectionery, the company sees demand for bright and intense colors in North America, while in Europe and Asia, the customers are looking for more pastel shades. 

“In the bakery sector, there has been increased general interest in colorful glazings and decorations to enhance the attractiveness of the product. Wide shade variations from deep yellow through to red hues are now possible to achieve using turmeric or beta-carotenes-based colors. Effective in both typical confectionery and bakery products, these natural colors considerably enhance the fresh attraction of the final product,” states Church. 

Breaking boundaries
According to ADM’s recent flavor and color trends report, consumers are open to breaking the boundaries of taste and color, while also seeking ways to unabashedly express themselves and proudly showcase their healthy lifestyles through their food and beverage choices. 

“We see this through attention-grabbing shades with regional flavor pairings rising to the top. Think of a vibrant pink and playful blue swirled lychee and berry taffy candy, or a scarlet-colored tart blood orange sparkling water with prebiotic inclusion. Visually intriguing opportunities also lie in layering different colors, such as in galaxy beverages,” states Newsome. 

“For example, a yuzu, blackberry and mint bottled mocktail may have captivating rich purples, stormy blues and spectra yellows distinctly showcased. Confectionery makers have long taken inspiration from unique color patterns, and we see a resurgence of whimsical treats like rainbow-confetti candy drops, as consumers lean into their memories.”

New color directions 
In 2022, GNT identified the “Healthy Hedonism” trend. It was driven by Gen-Z and was all about the growing demand for natural, sustainable food and drink with bold flavors and bright colors.  

“That’s still very much in effect, but we’re seeing an even deeper appreciation of the natural world across all generations,” explains Dieuwertje Raaijmakers, marketing communications specialist at GNT Group. 

“We’ve named this emerging trend ‘Regeneration Rising.’ It’s intensifying the focus on sustainability and how F&B products are made, with regenerative agriculture and planet-positive ingredients becoming more prominent. This shift in attitudes is also leading consumers to gravitate toward colors that celebrate the natural world and the origins of raw materials,” she notes. 

As a result, GNT has identified three new color “directions” that connect to the Regeneration Rising trend. 

Elevated Earth features colors such as teals with gray undertones, muted pink-purples, light, cloudy, and peachy oranges, and earthy, muted and matte reds. 

Striking shades such as bright blues, greens, lilacs and pinks can still be completely natural, says GNT.The Wholesome Nostalgia direction involves yellows, greens, blues, peaches, and pinks that range from velvet-like to milky, translucent, muted and dreamlike. 

Nature Lab pushes the boundaries of what we consider natural, showing how colors that can be found growing on land and in the sea can be bold, bright and otherworldly. The key shades are vibrant greens and blues but the direction also includes highly saturated magentas and fuchsias, rich yellows and reds, and bright, transparent orange hues.

According to Raaijmakers, they are already making their mark across confectionery and beverages. 

“Wholesome Nostalgia can be seen in confectionery products like milky pastel gummies and faded neon boiled sweets as well. The Elevated Earth palette can be found in boiled confectionery and lozenges with treacly browns as well as pastels, gummies, and jellies with highly pigmented reds and oranges,” she says. 

“Meanwhile, in beverages, you can see the Elevated Earth theme in products such as vegetable juices with red, orange, and teal hues. Nature Lab examples include soft drinks with vibrant magenta dragon fruit as well as nootropic and adaptogenic-spiked drinks with vibrant spirulina blues.”

The future of natural colors
For Raaijmakers at GNT, plant-based colors are now very well established in many markets and there’s a growing realization that striking shades such as bright blues, greens, and pinks can still be completely natural. 

“That’s really opened up the possibilities for brands to use color creatively to achieve product differentiation. Color is a hugely effective way to create instant intrigue and excitement. We’re seeing products brought to market that use color as a descriptor, putting it front of mind for the consumer,” she summarizes.

By Elizabeth Green