Natural colors: Plant-based meat browning solutions spotlighted while research delves into emotive properties

13 Dec 2021 --- Plant-based “coloring foods” extracted from fruits and vegetables are gaining considerable market share as consumers demand clean, simple and natural ingredients. Particularly evident is the growing appeal of meat alternatives giving rise to solutions that impart authentic grilled browning color in beef, chicken and pork analogs.

FoodIngredientsFirst speaks to key suppliers, who share insights into the policy developments, market research and product innovation within this space.

“Even in segments that aren’t typically associated with health, such as confectionery and carbonated soft drinks, brands are moving toward natural formulations to maximize consumer appeal. As a result, we expect artificial colors to be phased out all over the world,” remarks Maartje Hendrickx, market development manager at Exberry Coloring Foods manufacturer GNT.

“Many years ago, natural coloring solutions were expensive, lacked stability and the shades were not as vibrant as with artificial colors,” she notes.

“Things have changed tremendously now. In most applications, coloring foods can be used to deliver vibrant shades comparable to synthetics with excellent stability, while the cost in use has fallen dramatically.”

According to ADM, in 2021, North America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions all showed that naturally sourced colors make up 59%, 52% and 55% of the food colors market, respectively.Reliance on artificial colors
According to research by food ingredients supplier ADM, in 2021, North America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions all showed that naturally sourced colors make up 59%, 52% and 55% of the food colors market, respectively. 

“However, there are regions that still heavily lean on artificial colors,” concedes Hélène Moeller, vice president of global product marketing, Flavors, ADM.

“In Latin America, 32% of the food colors market uses naturally sourced colors, while 42% uses synthetic colors. However, it’s important to note that the Latin America market is roughly one fifth the size of the North America and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) markets.”

Even while certain markets still largely rely on artificial colorants, Hendrickx believes this can change very quickly.

“For example, the EU introduced warning labels for the artificial colors featured in the famous ‘Southampton Six’ study in 2010. Afterwards, the use of both natural additive colors and coloring foods skyrocketed.”

In Europe and the US, coloring foods are now used extensively across many product categories including beverages, confectionery and plant-based products. 

“We see major growth potential in Asia and South America, particularly as regulations are updated to recognize Coloring Foods as a distinct category from natural colors,” says Hendrickx.

“For example, China’s Group Standards for Coloring Foods were published in 2017, while the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India set out a definition for coloring foods at the end of 2020.”

Plant-based is a primary driver
Plant-based foods have seen a dramatic rise in recent years with appearance and visual appeal playing a significant role for consumers when choosing these products.  

“From the beginning, natural colors were identified as a basic requirement for new product development in this category,” remarks Nathalie Pauleau, global product manager for natural colors at Givaudan.

“Natural colors are overwhelmingly preferred because they fit well with the main drivers of this market, which are health, sustainability and ethical concerns.”

GNT enlisted the skills of professional semioticians to delve into the ways that color in food imparts messages.

Around 95% of new colored meat alternative product launches contain color solutions from natural plant-based coloring foods, she highlights.

Recreating an authentic color transition from red to brown during the cooking process poses one of the most complex challenges for plant-based products. 

“Not only is this appealing visually but it also helps to ensure that products are not over cooked and provides a better eating experience. However, the complexity of food matrices in meat substitutes, which commonly use a range of vegetable proteins, make this a particularly difficult task.”

Givaudan has developed customized VegeBrite Red and Brown colouring foodstuffs that are specifically formulated to meet this challenge. Using a combination of different natural extracts and concentrates, food manufacturers can create the much-desired cooking transition effect from a fresh, meat-like red color to an authentic brown grilled or cooked meat. 

Emotions in color
GNT has enlisted the skills of professional semioticians to delve into the many ways that color in food imparts messages on a conscious and subconscious level. The specialist has released its “The Power of Color” market research, which formulators can use to tailor new personalized coloring solutions for the F&B arena.

“Semiotics helps us understand how color creates meaning in different cultures and across different products, brands and categories. Consumers make decisions both consciously and subconsciously and color can play a vital role in that,” details Hendrickx.

“For example, the meaning of red, amber and green on traffic lights is almost universally understood, so health labeling has adopted those colors to create intuitive messaging.”

Last week, Pantone unveiled a new blue shade, Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri, a vibrant periwinkle blue hue with a violet-red undertone as its Color of the Year selection for 2022. For F&B applications, industry players believe this shade can help elicit sentiments of empowerment and immunity.

Nonetheless, the signals that color sends out can not only differ across contexts but also evolve over time. 

“For example, in the European confectionery market, there’s been a clear evolution in the perception of yellow,” says Hendrickx. “Before, yellow signaled sourness and increased freshness. Now it’s associated with joy and happiness, so it’s become a comforting color.”

Natural colors can also come with formulation challenges, such as stability and aroma.The Power of Color also features a motivational framework that’s used in the field of neuromarketing. “It helps us to understand consumer behavior and the central tensions that play a role in decision-making, such as the tension between hedonism and staying in control,” notes Hendrickx.

On the showfloor of the recently culminated Fi Europe, held in Frankfurt, Germany, FoodIngredientsFirst caught up with representatives from GNT to discuss these new consumer insights that “move beyond the traditional annual color forecast.”

Addressing core formulation challenges
Colors extracted from plants, including botanicals, fruits and vegetables, provide an appealing array of color concepts, but they can also come with formulation challenges, such as stability and aroma. 

“The increasing consumer desire for natural colors has brought with it a surge in technological and formulation advancements,” notes Moeller at ADM. “These new developments have allowed for creatively colorful applications that give consumers the experiences they crave with visually striking shades sourced from nature.”

ADM’s latest proprietary and patented micronized and emulsion technologies help product developers solve certain formulation challenges, such as stopping the staining, flashing or bleeding of colors into the product base.

“Specifically, our micronized technology allows us to create vibrant hues from natural sources that also have plating characteristics, which stop colors from streaking in powdered offerings, creating uniform cake mixes or drink powders,” details Moeller.

“We use our emulsion technology to reduce precipitation and mitigate colors staining or ringing on product containers like beverage bottles and caps.”

Additionally, while it’s commonly said we eat with our eyes first, flavor is an essential part of the sensory experience, creating opportunity for repeat purchases. It’s vital that colors from fruits, vegetables and botanicals do not impart any inherent flavor or odor notes that clash with the desired end-result.

“Paprika, for instance, is a great option for a naturally sourced orange shade. However, it can have a robust, earthy profile,” explains Moeller. “Our proprietary extraction technology removes these notes while keeping a bright orange hue across drinks and dishes.”

By Benjamin Ferrer