FLAVOURS AND COLOURS
CONTINUE TO DOMINATE
A
ccording to Innova Market Insights, 70% of European consumers say it is important that foods and beverages
do not contain artificial colouring, while nearly one-third are willing to pay a premium for products formulated without them. Meanwhile, the global natural food colours market is projected to exceed US$3 billion by the current year 2026, fuelled by reformulation efforts across confectionery, bakery and beverage categories. In flavours, the trend is equally pronounced: market analysts estimate that natural flavours now account for more than half of new confectionery launches in Europe, reflecting consumers’ preference for recognisable ingredients and authentic taste experiences. As this feature explores, the
industry is responding with remarkable innovation. Suppliers such as ADM
16 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • JUNE 2026 Clara Faustina, ADM
and GNT are developing advanced extraction, masking and stabilisation technologies that allow colours derived from fruits, vegetables and plants to achieve greater vibrancy, consistency and shelf-life performance than ever
flavours NATURAL
colours AND Although there is much complexity around recipe reformulation for
plant-based ingredients, specialists like GNT and ADM say the quality is unmatched and it is the future of colours and flavours in confectionery.
before. At the same time, flavour houses are capitalising on emerging consumer desires for both wellness- inspired profiles—think matcha, honey and tropical fruits—and adventurous combinations such as passion fruit with vanilla or mango sticky rice-inspired gummies.
Newstalgia dreamland Clara Faustina, Senior Marketing Manager, Sweet Goods and Bakery EMEA, ADM, tells us more about ADM’s unique insight into the trends and preferences of consumers within the confectionery market. She says: “Across categories, consumers increasingly demand clean- label products made with recognisable ingredients perceived as ‘closer to nature.’ About 70% of European consumers say it’s important their foods and beverages do not contain artificial colouring, and nearly 30% are willing to
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