March 6, 2025 – Globally, food color plays a significant role in the food and beverage industry, as it influences consumer perception and appeal. Vibrant, natural colors enhance the visual attractiveness of products and are often associated with health, taste, and quality. Innova’s 360 research delves into the latest trends in natural coloring agents, examining their growing use across various food categories. This includes consumer preferences, innovations, and opportunities that could shape the future of the industry.
This article is based on Innova’s Natural Colors in Food & Beverage – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
Food Color Trends
Color plays a crucial role in the appeal of food and complements its taste. For instance, caramel colors provide a sense of indulgence, while bright colors indicate fun. Food color trends show that colors influence consumers, especially young ones who assess their food choices based on how instagrammable they are. Nearly half of Millennials and Gen Z follow viral food trends in social media. Companies or brands utilize these trends to produce visually inspiring products. Notable such foods include Barbie-inspired beet pasta salad and cocktail variants inspired from Wicked movie. Striking, bold or surprising colors are essential for making products stand out and appear novel.
Naturalness Trends
Consumers are increasingly conscious of the ingredients in their food and beverages. Innova research on color trends shows that consumers value naturalness extremely, with 1 in 4 considering it as an important factor in food consumption at home. In purchasing nutritious food, naturalness is the third preference, after price and taste, and texture. The absence of artificial ingredients or flavors is the leading clean label. The top 3 active limiting ingredients are sugar, fat/oil, and sodium. Natural food trends reveal that consumers demand healthier and more wholesome products, avoiding artificial ingredients and colors.
Natural Color Ingredients Trends
Food color trends show that more than 1 in 5 new product launches contain added colors, and their use is on the rise for the past five years. Natural and artificial colors are outpacing in the food industry, with 7% and 9% of product launches respectively. Globally, America has the highest color ingredient penetration, with 1 in 4 new launches over the past five years. Artificial color use is high in Latin America, while coloring foods are dominate in Australia and Europe. Natural colors agents lead in all regions, including Australia, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Middle East and Africa, compared to other colors. Color choice varies by product category. Confectionery launches often use artificial colors as they require more vibrant hues, while dairy and desserts heavily use coloring foods. Natural colors spread evenly across all food categories.
Fast-growing subcategories for natural colors and coloring foods include fish and seafood substitutes and poultry substitutes. Natural coloring agents are primarily derived from spices, chlorophyll plant pigments, and carotenes. Paprika extract is the star performer among natural color compounds. Notable well-performing coloring foods include caramelized sugar, carrot, paprika, and beetroot.
Clean Color Claims Trends
Clean color claims account for 6% of global food and beverage launches, driven by the absence of artificiality. Australasia and North America products launch with most of these claims. Europe market shift towards more natural formulations and consumers start expecting the absence of artificial color as the norm. Natural food trends show that clean color claims lead in baby child-related products across the globe with 19% of total launches over the past year.
What’s Next in Natural Coloring Agents Trends?
Natural coloring agents are becoming an essential part of the health-conscious consumer’s decision-making process. There is a strong link between naturalness and health, and many consumers now seek foods with natural colors that have added health benefits, like antioxidants from anthocyanins or turmeric. Consumers firmly associate natural diets with healthy living. Suppliers can use a diverse palette of coloring agents, many derived from raw materials with strong health credentials. Claims related to naturalness and clean labels are relatively static. This suggests a growing expectation for the absence of additives rather than a lower concern over them. Brands can launch products with clear natural credentials and short, recognizable ingredient lists.
There is a disparity in natural color usage across regions. Although Latin America has high penetration of natural colors, it also uses many artificial colors. Brands can promote naturalness and reduce artificial color use by building on the region’s strong health focus. The sourcing of ingredients is increasingly important for protecting the planet. Brands can use colors with low environmental impact, which is particularly appealing to eco-conscious consumers. Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025, Mocha Mousse, is a great fit for the food and beverage industry. Brands can leverage these natural color compounds to deliver creamy and indulgent browns in comfort foods and beverages.
Consumers’ health awareness is driving them to choose products with more natural coloring agents. Brands are more likely to leverage plant-based extracts to produce naturally colored products appealing to health-conscious consumers.
This article is based on Innova’s Natural Colors in Food & Beverage – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
