Boost Savory Foodservice with Color

All Eyes on the Savory Foodservice Market
Foodservice innovation continues to catch consumers’ eyes and wallets with limited time offerings and special launches. From the viral purple Grimace milkshake at McDonald’s to unique launches at quick service restaurants like Dunkin’ and Starbucks, specialty beverages have led the way.
The savory space has a similar opportunity to drive revenue and shopper interest. From the bold red of the Burger King Spider-Man Whopper to the full rainbow of buns at the Sugar Factory, color offers shoppers an instantly Instagrammable opportunity with their meal. Even sandwich shops like Jimmy John’s have gotten in on the seasonal savory menu items with a bright red Firecracker Wrap. Are you jumping on this trend?
Adding Color to Savory Menu Items
Most savory menu items, from buns to taco shells, experience some level of heat processing. While baking is typically a relatively lower heat for an extended time, a frying process exposes a product to high heat for a shorter duration. Certain color solutions perform well under heat processing, and color experts can work with developers to ensure that the target shade is achieved. Heat processes can also cause a color change in a base dough, which should be considered too.
Color concentration plays a role in successful use as well, as the usage rate in the end product may have an impact on the overall recipe. Too much of a color ingredient may impact the functionality of the product. For example, using a standard beet product to achieve a red hue will require a high usage rate and can interfere with the rise of the finished good. A highly concentrated solution like SupraRed™ allows a lower usage rate for the same end shade.
A high usage rate for color may also lead to flavor off-notes if enough color is used. Highly concentrated colors or purified colors such as Pure-S™ Orange can mitigate flavor off-notes.
Light exposure has an impact on a small number of color ingredients and should be noted for the finished good if relevant. Whether in store or in storage, potential light exposure can cause colors like turmeric to fade, so if light exposure is in play, an alternative like beta carotene can be used.

What colors are you considering next? Take a look at some of our ideas and the colors that bring them to life:
Red Alert Blazing Pizza Crust with SupraRed™
Spicy is hot: 1 in 3 shoppers is interested in trying ghost pepper flavored items (Mintel 2024).
SupraRed™ achieves bold reds while surviving heat processing like baking or frying with a clean vegetable juice label.


Spicy Cheddar English Muffin with Pure-S™ Orange
1 in 4 consumers is interested in trying spicier menu items for breakfast (Mintel 2024)
Paprika offers brands a bright, eye-catching orange in heat-processed applications, and Pure-S™ Orange can be used to mitigate flavor off-notes as needed.
Green Goddess
Taco Shell with Butterfly Pea Flower Extract + Turmeric or Beta Carotene
“Green goddess” has grown by 8.4% in social discussion over the past year (Tastewise 2024)
Butterfly pea flower extract, a unique heat-stable natural blue, can be blended with a natural yellow like turmeric or beta carotene to achieve a wide range of greens.


Purple Ube Wrap with Butterfly Pea Flower Extract + SupraRed
Ube-flavored menu items have grown more than 20% in popularity over the past year (Tastewise 2024)
A blend of SupraRed™ and butterfly pea flower extract will offer a developer a wide range of heat-stable purples in savory baked or fried applications.
Spooky Blackout Bun with Sienna™ Fortis
31% of consumers want to try seasonal menu items at fast casual restaurants (Mintel 2024)
Blends using Sienna™ fruit juice can create deep blacks and browns perfect for unique seasonal baked goods.
