A Sweet Guide to Natural Color for Confectionery
Candy and confectionary foods are primarily experiential for consumers.
As shoppers continue to seek out “little treats” in their daily stressful lives, these small indulgences provide interesting and unique flavors, textures, and appearances.
Consuming candy creates a moment of happiness for many people, giving them a short break during a busy day. In 2023, 63% of consumers said that treating themselves helps them to cope with current crises.
MINTEL 2023

Color can add value to the whimsical and nostalgic feelings that candy and confectionary goods tend to spark.
The visual effect of a colorful treat hints at exciting flavors to come and can help draw interest and indicate appeal. All things new & novel keep confectionary fun.
Most customers purchase confection on impulse, and color can play an important role in catching shoppers’ eyes. 79% of chocolate consumers say they often buy chocolate on impulse.
MINTEL 2023


The art of virality in confection:
The visual nature of social media has made its mark on the sweets industry as the Internet age continues to showcase the sensory appeal of confectionery innovations.
Of the global launches in sugar confectionery and gum sub-categories in the past five years, pastilles, gums, jellies and chews and mixed assortments see the highest penetration of social media claims.
MINTEL 2024
A Sweet Approach to Natural Color in Confection

Panned Confection
There are several factors to consider when panning, such as pH, heat, moisture, and raw materials. Ingredients involved in panning such as sugar, gums, flavors, or bulking agents can affect the end product as well. The right manufacturing and product sources are needed to get that signature shiny outer shell coating.

Gummy & Jelly Confection
Depending on the duration and intensity of the gummy or fruit snack processing, heat and pH levels can vary in terms of stability. Overcoming any base notes is another key consideration for developers.

Fat-Based Confection
In fat-based or oil-based products, water soluble colors will result in congealing or specking. Depending on the target shade end application, light stability or heat stability can be important. Preventing color bleeding is another consideration.

Keeping Color Stable: Confectionery Considerations

Heat
Not all natural colors can withstand high heat. Spirulina, for example, is not very heat stable. In confectionary applications, a hardier solution like our proprietary heat-stable spirulina portfolio – Marine Blue™ – makes more sense to withstand harsher temperatures, like in hard candy.

Acidity
Acidity can have an impact on the performance of color solutions, both synthetic and natural. Sometimes this effect is helpful, while others can be challenging depending on the product, shade, or solution. Most anthocyanins create reds and pinks and thrive in low pH situations, while Sensient’s novel color source, butterfly pea flower extract, is a unique stunning blue in higher pH conditions.

Light
Some natural colors can be light sensitive, like turmeric. Exposure to light over a period of time can cause color to bleach out or fade in many applications. In confection, it’s a good idea to pay attention to storage and packing methods to prevent unwanted color effects from light. Here at Sensient, we have alternatives if light is a concern, and our customer lab can work with you to identify the best option for your application that will remain stable.

Regulatory changes
New legislation like California’s Prop 65 labeling requirements is creating new challenges for brands seeking brown shades like Caramel, which is affected by the bill. Additionally, titanium dioxide is banned in the European Union – though not in the United States or Canada – limiting how the color white can be used in applications. Alternatives like fruit juice-based Sienna™ and clean label Avalanche™ can be successful solutions.

Solubility
In confection, colors that are oil- or water-soluble might need dispersion depending on the base materials. It’s common for oil-soluble colors to bleed in fat-based confection like compound coating. Standard water-soluble colors are incompatible with oil-based applications. Our Microfine™ technology bridges this gap to provide vibrant natural colors across the whole rainbow that tackle issues like specking, bleeding, and reduced vibrancy.
A Rainbow of Natural Color Solutions for Confection:
Sensient provides a rainbow of natural colors to choose from. Our team can work with developers to ensure that the right choice is made to optimize stability and pigment in any application.
Nearly a quarter of candy consumers look for no artificial ingredients and 22% look for simple/minimal ingredients like natural coloring
MINTEL 2024
Many developers are reimagining classic sweets with real, simple ingredients – cleaner labels – avoiding artificial colors and ingredients
Confection News 2024

Reds & Pinks
Bold reds and bright pinks are possible with cost-effective anthocyanins for low-pH confection. Sensient offers a broad range of fruit and vegetable juice colors to achieve any desired shade of red or pink. Carmine and cochineal add extremely stable alternatives for pink shades. Beet-based color such as our SupraRed™ can be a great option for red shades; it’s a high-performance, heat-stable beet coloring solution that enables food and beverage manufacturers around the world to create bright red products that undergo heat processing.

Oranges & Yellows
Depending on the pH and the base of the product, orange in confectionery can be achieved with natural colors like beta carotene, annatto, and paprika. For yellow, developers can look to riboflavin, yellow iron oxide, or turmeric to get the right shade match. Sensient offers a broad spectrum of curcumin-based solutions and other bold yellows that are ideal for confectionery applications.

Blues & Purples
Our Marine Blue™ portfolio offers highly stable options for spirulina’s bright sky-blue shades; it’s ideal for gummy applications. Sensient’s novel butterfly pea flower extract can create vivid purple or blue depending on the pH of the base application and processing.

Greens
natural green shades are possible with our unique natural blue shades. We can provide brands with blue and yellow components to make green shades or through our advanced blending capabilities, Sensient can offer a single delivery system of greens too. Depending on the warmth or coolness of the green needed, there are many ways to get the right result.

Browns
Whether a light or dark brown is desired, plant-based confectionery color sources like Sienna™ fruit juice can be great caramel or cocoa replacement options for confectionery applications. Considering emerging legislation such as Prop 65 along with the cocoa crisis, being able to produce a natural brown is more important than ever. Sensient’s brown solutions are highly stable and can provide a rich, chocolatey or milky caramel appearance.

Whites
If your brand prefers to avoid titanium dioxide, our Avalanche™ portfolio presents a wide assortment of white options for various applications to maximize stability in a given formula. Avalanche™ solutions are designed to work well in any confectionery product, from gummies to panned candies.
Improving Color Performance & Impact with Technology:

Microfine™ & Simplifine™
For many oil-based applications like morsels and coatings, any water-soluble color will result in congealing or specking. Microfine™ technology can help lock colors into place to prevent any color bleeding or discoloration. If you need clean carrier alternatives or a preservative-free formula, Simplifine™ is also available.

Spectraflecks™
These colored film particulates add bursts of color to confectionery applications. With fat-free, sugar-free, and vegan options available, Spectraflecks™ are a ready-to-use instant upgrade to products like hard candies or panned confections.

Color Crystals™
To add an extra touch of color and fun to confectionery treats, Color Crystals™ are a great clean label option. They come in a variety of shades and can be mixed or matched. They can also add textural interest to applications.

Coloring Sugars™
These brightly colored sugars are a great fit for cake pops and other confections, providing a cost-effective embellishment. Flavor or shimmer can be added to introduce extra experiential touches, too.

Sensipearl™
For hard candy, soft candy, or chewing gum, Sensipearl™ adds iridescent shimmers with unique luster effects. It’s a unique way to add brilliance and shine to almost any color choice.