GNT’s “Gather Together” report highlights how color can guide global F&B design

Consumers are increasingly seeking connection and comfort in shared food and drink experiences, according to GNT Group. Moreover, the company is spotlighting color as a tool for brands to engage with consumers, as its new “Gather Together” report highlights how natural, plant-based shades can help brands shape products that are social, expressive, emotionally resonant, and reflect emerging shifts in consumer behavior.

Food Ingredients First sits down with Dieuwertje Raaijmakers, GNT Group’s marketing communications specialist, to discuss the analysis, which identifies four trend directions: “Joyful Unity,” “Cultural Celebration,” “Sensory Escape,” and “Branded Bites.” Raaijmakers reveals that each trend can be paired with targeted color palettes to guide innovation across beverages, bakery, dairy, and confectionery.

GNT is positioning its Exberry portfolio as a practical solution to enable manufacturers to translate these insights into visually compelling, sustainable products that resonate in today’s evolving market.

“We look at color as a strategic tool for food and beverage brands that can be used to differentiate products and ensure they stand out on the shelf, but it has to be the right fit for the specific brand and their category,” says Raaijmakers. “We use our research and analysis to determine what consumers want to see and then help manufacturers identify a bespoke solution.”

“Our new research has found that a growing number of consumers worldwide increasingly view food and drink as a means of coming together. That’s happening in different ways, such as exploring new cultures and providing a sense of escapism.”

Telling stories with color

Raaijmakers points out that color plays a central role in shaping how products look and feel, and signalling flavor cues. Additionally, she notes that color anchors foods to specific culinary traditions while creating moments that feel intentional, turning routine consumption into shared eating and drinking experiences.Dieuwertje Raaijmakers, GNT Group’s marketing communications specialist.

She adds that the four “color directions” are each associated with a new trend emerging as part of the “Gather Together” movement, and can play a role in creating experiences that bring consumers together.

“For example, the ‘Joyful Unity’ trend is a celebration of communal eating in familiar or reinvented spaces,” she underscores. “It’s associated with warm, rich reds and pinks, bright greens, and comforting browns and beiges that evoke simple, seasonal produce.”

“The four palettes can be applied to all food and drink categories. We look at the brand, product, category trends, and consumer behavior, then determine how color can help them to tell the right story to tap into the trend.”

Furthermore, Raaijmakers says that the company’s goal isn’t to forecast a “color of the year.” Rather, GNT Group is looking to equip brands to create products that reflect authentic consumer shifts by leaning into meaningful trends.

Future-forward color trends

Raaijmakers emphasizes that the color directions are narrative frameworks that reflect current consumer insights. The trends help brands and customers blend palettes with flavor and texture inspiration, and are backed by applications and concepts from GNT Group’s innovation team.

She notes that the “Gather Together” report enables customers to identify opportunities for future product development.

“The color directions work to enhance storytelling and boost emotional engagement,” says Raaijmakers. “For example, ‘Branded Bites,’ which highlights the rise of hybrid brand collaborations, features fresh, light colors that can be used to create a feeling of sophistication and luxury, and that makes products look premium and fresh.”

“‘Cultural Celebration’ features bold and intense hues. A bubble tea with bright orange, yellow, and pink shades indicates a fun and sweet experience. That’s ideal for the younger generation of consumers who want to enjoy a drink with friends and share the moment on TikTok and Instagram.”GNT Group says its Exberry colors help brands craft products that are expressive, social, and sustainable (Image credit: GNT Group).

Global color solutions

Raaijmakers also highlights that the “Gather Together” color trends speak to human nature by addressing the visual cues people use to determine quality, flavor, and freshness in food and beverages. She states that color is already used to send instinctive signals about products.

“As a basic example, a candy product aimed at kids might have a very vibrant shade while a similar product targeting adults might use a dark or pastel shade,” Raaijmakers reveals. “With the ‘Gather Together’ campaign, we’re looking at how combinations of colors can be used to help set the stage for communal consumption.”

“We were especially inspired by cuisines from across Asia because they’re often very colorful with a lot of unique flavors, and they’re gaining huge popularity worldwide. Many countries in Latin America and Africa have also provided great inspiration.”

Raaijmakers stresses that GNT Group’s Exberry color line also meets consumer demands for sustainable ingredients.

“With ‘Gather Together,’ the focus is on bringing people together, but that demand for natural and sustainable products is still there,” she concludes. “We make our Exberry colors from non-GMO fruit, vegetables, and plants and have a strong focus on the sustainable sourcing and production methods that consumers demand.”