The consumer desire for “clean labels” that show a minimum of ingredients in food products may impact the colorings used in food as well as the way they are presented on packaging. According to a recent Food Processing article, so-called “natural colors” are a growing concern as companies try to include more organic additives. However, the process of switching over to these elements comes with challenges, particularly when it comes to managing operations.
Chief among these challenges is the cost of using natural ingredients for coloration, although the source notes that this may change as cheaper alternatives appear. Certainly, cleaner labels are dominating the conversation: earlier this summer, Anderson Partners cited information from the National Marketing Institute showing that more than 60 percent of consumers prefer “foods that are minimally processed.”
In the Food Processing piece, Joe Cavar of Watson Inc. describes another difficulty involved in using natural colors: the limited palette. This is not just an aesthetic issue but one that impacts cost and efficiency as well.
As he states, natural colors “are already combinations of colors, so there is no pure red or yellow. If customers allow us to use the artificial dyes, we can match nearly any Pantone color you pick. But if they require exempt colors, the palette we have to work with shrinks considerably.”
Embracing the move to a new range of color could also require a similar refocus for food and beverage labels. The particular tone of a product with natural ingredients may be slightly different than one with artificial colors, prompting new labels printed in the appropriate shade.
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