there is a need to consider the growing role that social media is playing on consumer buying patterns, which makes colour even more vital. To ensure that confectionery also meets consumers
growing demand for more natural, healthy options, Lotte goes on to explain that there is a good natural colour match for most artificial colours. “For yellow and orange shades, there is turmeric and annatto. For pink and red, there are the options of well-known fruits and vegetables such as beetroot, black carrot, and sweet potato, while for blue, spirulina is becoming an increasingly popular choice.” Blue has always been one of the more difficult colours
to find a natural alternative for, yet it is also a colour that attracts attention. Confectioners opting for a natural blue colouring solution often turn to spirulina – a blue-green algae that also contains a number of beneficial nutrients. According to Mintel, the use of spirulina-based colouring accounted for 21% of coloured sugar and gum confectionery launches in 2020. Crucially though, Colouring Foods – food ingredients used
by the food industry for the primary purpose of imparting colour to food and beverage products which are manufactured from fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, algae and/or other edible source materials – do not require E numbers and can be described on ingredients listings in a way that provides reassurance to the consumer – such as concentrates. With the clean-label trend showing no sign of abating the use of natural food colours continues to grow. Indeed, according to Mintel, Colouring Foods featured in more than one-quarter of all sugar and gum confectionery launched in Europe in 2020.
Social media
Pat Hanson, Managing Director of Sensient Food Colours EMEA at Sensient Technologies, also commented on the growing importance of social media in a recent blog. He explained that while online ‘shareability’ is now a major innovation theme for food and beverage manufacturers, ‘instagramability’ is not the only driver behind the growing
32 Kennedy’s Confection March 2022
“Organic claims can offer an effective way to boost your confectionery products’ appeal”
interest in colour. He cites Sensient research from the US, (Sensient US Online Consumer Study 2015-2020) which showed that colour vibrancy will impact how we perceive taste. “In many instances, colour has a greater impact on taste perception than flavour,” he says. The Sensient research found that, in 2015, one-third of
US consumers were ‘very concerned’ about artificial colours. In 2020, that number had jumped to almost 50%, with only 18% saying they are not concerned about artificial colours. Meanwhile, in Europe, Mintel reported in 2019 that four- in-10 consumers consider ‘no artificial ingredient’ as the most important factor when looking for more healthy labels. Pat pointed out that consumers have an increasing interest in ‘better-for-you’ nutrition and a desire to increase the amount of healthy options. “Combining the desire for natural ingredients with humans’ inherent preference for brightly coloured food, there is no doubt that confectionery producers, along with all food producers, need to ensure that they understand how these trends affect their brand. Brand owners need to be aware that colour will have a significant impact on purchase intent, overall product preference, and flavour perception,” he says.
KennedysConfection.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
