The Important Role of Color in the Push to All-Natural Confections
2017-06-20 08:40:36
Color. Is it something confectioners take for granted? How can that be, you ask? After all, the range of products in the confectionery industry must be the most colorful in any food segment. There’s no lack of color, for sure.
But–color in the food and beverage industry as a whole is quickly changing, that is type of color of course. In fact, during the fourth quarter last year, the United States actually hit an all-time high with 73 percent of new products launched using natural colors. In regards to the confection category, as many as 88 percent of consumers would be more likely to buy confectionery brands that have removed artificial colors according to Sensient Consumer Research.
So yes, the movement to natural color is definitely happening, but not everything is instant. Sometimes it takes years for companies to actually make the switch.
Here are some watch-out items for your conversion to natural color in confections…
1. Natural Colors have a shorter shelf life than synthetic colors. Be sure your natural color portfolio has recently been updated to ensure bench work shade consistency.
2. A color solution, rather than a color component, can provide greater stability and achieve more targeted shades.
3. Make sure the natural ingredient that you’re working with for color is approved by the FDA; for example, spinach is not permitted as a colorant.
4. pH and heat can impact shade stability dependent on the natural color source but the industry is closing the gap on these issues with novel innovations
5. Some natural colors like titanium dioxide, caramel color, and carmine have come under scrutiny by advocacy groups and consumers
If you’re interested in learning more about natural color for confections, don’t miss Gale Myers excellent pieces on natural color strategies for extruded confections and panned candies.
The Important Role of Color in the Push to All-Natural Confections
