COLOURS & FLAVOURS
emotional colour
Are you getting
Suzanne Callander reports on the hugely important role that colour has to play in confectionery. It sends out an important, albeit often subliminal, message to consumers about the product.
T
here can be no denying the continuing shift toward healthier and more natural confectionery in recent years. Brands have been hard at work cleaning up their ingredient lists in line
with consumer demands to ensure they are able to maximise product acceptance. The growing shift toward more natural ingredient lists has also had a clear impact on the use of colour in the confectionery industry. Colour is often the first thing people notice about a product and it can send out a powerful signal about product identity, flavour, and quality. Red hues, for example, are often associated with sweetness, while green can suggest sourness or bitterness. This association has evolutionary roots – our ancestors relied on colour to discern ripe, sweet fruits from their bitter, unripe counterparts.
Colour intensity can also affect perceived sweetness. A study published in the ‘Journal of Food Science’ found that drinks with more saturated colours were perceived as sweeter, regardless of the actual sugar content. This phenomenon underscores the importance of colour in creating a product that meets consumer expectations.
For confectionery manufacturers, understanding the link between colour and
16 Kennedy’s Confection March 2024
taste perception is crucial. It can inform product development and marketing strategies, ensuring that the visual presentation aligns with the intended flavour profile. “Traditionally, confectionery have used really vibrant colours, which suggested products have intense flavours. Today, however, many European brands have started to move away
from the most vibrant shades because of their growing association with increased sugar content and they are also seen as being less natural,” says Maartje Hendrickx, Market Development Manager at GNT Group. While bright shades are still being widely
used – and they can be effective – pastel shades are also becoming increasingly prevalent in
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