Food colouring is not just used to make foods colourful, it plays a much deeper role, contributing to a significant part of the sensory characteristics of food that visually appeal to consumers.
From enhancing visual appeal to building consumer trust, colours influence how we perceive taste, freshness and quality.
Research shows that up to 90% of consumers make their choice of convenience foods based on colour. A bright red drink feels sweeter, while a deep green smoothie signals freshness.
Food colouring is a powerful marketing and business tool, as well as an important ingredient in recipes.
It is used in the food industry:
- Natural colourants (derived from fruits, vegetables and plants such as beetroot, turmeric, spirulina) are driving the clean label trend.
- Synthetic colourants - used to obtain a uniform shade, stability and availability.
7 drivers for the development of the natural food colouring market
1. Environmental friendliness and sustainability. Natural dyes are biodegradable and non-toxic, which reduces environmental pollution compared to chemical-based synthetic dyes. They contribute to circular economy practices and support sustainable food and packaging.
2. Health and safety benefits.
Unlike synthetic dyes, which can cause skin irritation, allergies or toxicity, natural dyes are safe for human use.
3. Application in a wide range of product categories: bakery and confectionery - cakes, sweets, glazes and sprinkles; beverages - soft drinks, juices and energy drinks; dairy and frozen products; sauces, etc.
4. Drivers of market growth.
Growing global awareness of sustainability, stricter environmental regulations and demand for organic products are driving the growth of the natural dyes market.
5. Problems and limitations.
Natural dyes face challenges such as limited colour fastness, higher costs and dependence on crop yields. However, research into mordants and bioengineered dyes is overcoming these barriers.
6. 6. Regional specificity.
Asia-Pacific is leading the way in production due to abundant plant resources (India, China), while Europe and North America are driving demand for dyes due to environmentally conscious consumers and strict regulations to limit the use of synthetic substances.
7. 7. Future opportunities.
Advances in biotechnology, bioextraction methods and sustainable agriculture will improve the sustainability, cost-effectiveness and scalability of natural dyes.
The most popular product categories of use:
- bakery and confectionery products - cakes, sweets, icing and sprinkles.
-Beverages - soft drinks, juices and energy drinks.
- Dairy and frozen products - ice cream, yoghurts, flavoured milk.
processed foods and snacks - sauces, condiments, ready-to-eat meals.
- pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals - capsules, syrups and chewing candies.
The global food colouring market is growing steadily, driven by innovations in microencapsulation for better stability, cost-effective extraction of natural pigments, and the rapid growth in the number of plant-based and organic product launches.
With the growing consumer preference for natural and plant-based colours, brands are changing formulations to meet the demand for a clean label while maintaining visual consistency.
As a reminder, some plant products are sources of natural dyes:
- Turmeric, saffron - orange/yellow;
- Red cabbage is blue/purple;
- Beetroot is red;
- Barley malt, acorns are brown;
- Blue grapes, currants, elderberries, chokecherries, etc., flowers of Clitoris triplets/anchan tea - purple;
- Avocado - peach/pink;
- Hibiscus is purple/blue/pink;
- Black beans are purple/blue;
- Algae, nettles are green.