Natural Color Solutions for Cereal
Cereal Reigns Supreme for Consumers
Girl dinner? Regular dinner? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Cereal is a ubiquitous and timeless treat that’s here to stay, and the industry continues to showcase innovation through colorful variations.
With a 93% reported consumption rate among U.S. shoppers, cereal is a favored household staple, due to its perceived affordability and easy-to-prepare nature.
Younger consumers are optimistic about increasing their cereal consumption, too, with 31% of Gen Z and 36% of Millennials expecting to eat more cereal in the next year (Mintel 2023).
Cereal is a staple for any time of day:
43% of cereal consumers report eating cereal for more than just breakfast,
38% are snacking on cereal more often, and 50% eating it for breakfast more often (Mintel 2023).
Making Cereal a Special Experience
According to our Sensient 2025 trends, experience in food is key.
71% of US consumers say they like things that remind them of their past and more than 20% of consumers who expect to eat more cereal say they are motivated by nostalgia (Mintel 2023).
One of the best ways to elevate the experience of food is through color. Food and drink products need to look as good as they taste, and color can play a role in both the perception of health benefits and the flavor experience of cereals. Visual cues, such as vibrant colors, enhance the sensory appeal of food products and make them more attractive, especially to younger consumers who value the photogenic quality of their food for social media sharing.
Embracing Natural Color for Cereal
The good news is that cereal doesn’t have to sacrifice color to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers and the ever-evolving regulatory landscape of food color.
A quarter of consumers consider natural ingredients to be an important purchasing factor for cereal (Mintel 2023).
When looking to make the switch to natural color in cereal, be sure to keep certain key considerations in mind.
Technical Considerations in Cereal
Whether it’s extrusion-based, frosted with icings, or filled with marbits, cereal needs an expert take when natural color gets incorporated.
Heat & Pressure
Many cereals undergo extreme high-heat and pressure via extrusion or baking.
Not all colors can survive the harsh processing, but some are ideal for withstanding these conditions. To achieve the desired color, opt for heat-stable natural colors. Sensient has a portfolio of heat-stable colors across the rainbow, like Marine Blue™ or Uberbeet™.
Usage Rate
Because cereal undergoes such high heat and pressure, usage rate must be kept in mind.
Many natural colors require a higher ratio of product in order for the color to remain vivid. Sensient offers solutions like highly concentrated Suprared™ that gives the right hue without overdosing and compromising on texture or flavor. Other colors like Paprika or Radish can contain off-notes, so Sensient offers Pure-S™ technology to mitigate any issues.
Regulations & Legislation
As states like California continue to seek regulation of food colors, look to options that offer compliant replacements.
Colors like caramel, Red 3, and titanium dioxide are coming under question. Sensient’s Sienna™ and Avalanche™ portfolios are perfect solutions for brands that want to get ahead of any necessary changes.
Sensient’s Rainbow of Natural Color for Cereal
Reds & Pinks
For cereal, heat-stable natural color options in red or pink are radish and beet. Sensient offers unique technology and strong natural colors that help these colors survive and increase pigmentation at lower usage rates than the typical beet or radish.
Oranges & Yellows
Paprika, annatto, turmeric and beta carotene are excellent choices for achieving a range of orange and yellow shades. If solubility is a concern, Sensient offers our proprietary AET™ technology for oil-soluble colors in any product.
Greens, Blues, Purples
In cereal, greens can be achieved through the right combination of natural blues and yellows. Sensient offers the world’s most heat-stable spirulina in our Marine Blue™ portfolio, and well as our novel color source Butterfly Pea Flower Extract for bright purples.
Browns
For cocoa replacers or shades that are Prop 65 compliant, Sensient’s Sienna™ solutions offer natural browns that can work in a wide range of cereal applications.
Whites
If titanium dioxide is a color to avoid, our Avalanche™ color range can provide the necessary whitening agents in any cereal ingredients including frostings.
An Extra Something Special
Because cereal is experiential (and fun!) food, there are many options to upgrade the appearance of cereals or cereal toppings with our inclusions. Try Sensipearl™ for a shimmery surprise or Spectraflecks™ for added bursts of color and flavor.
Naturally colored cereals add a delicious visual for flavorful and nostalgic experiences.
If you still have any questions about formulating with color, please reach out! We’d love to help. If you’re ready to jump into development, request a color sample from our rainbow here!
