Producing naturally sourced high-intensity blue hues for food and beverages has proven to be a challenge. Consequently, the demand for these colors is rising as consumers increasingly gravitate towards clean labels and pay more attention to the ingredients in their food. This trend has significantly benefited companies like GNT, which recently announced that it has doubled its spirulina processing capacity at its advanced facility in the Netherlands.
Natural colors have emerged as a key strategy for food companies aiming to attract consumers. A global consumer survey conducted by GNT in 2017 revealed that 79% of participants consider “natural” to mean free from artificial colors. In response to this consumer preference, manufacturers have been removing artificial colors from their products and transitioning to vibrant natural ingredients. Major food brands such as Hershey, General Mills, Nestlé, and Campbell Soup have introduced new products or reformulated existing ones to exclude artificial colors.
While blue is a popular color among many consumers, it serves purposes beyond mere aesthetics; colors also hint at expected flavors. Research indicates that 90% of shoppers make purchasing decisions based on color and perceived taste. An appealing color can significantly increase the likelihood of a purchase. Colorful foods are particularly favored by millennials, who often use Instagram and other social media to showcase their culinary delights. Eye-catching and appetizing food is more likely to be photographed and shared, providing manufacturers with an additional marketing advantage.
Bright colors have been a common tactic among food and beverage manufacturers to draw in consumers. Recently, Barry Callebaut unveiled a new ruby chocolate, Kellogg introduced a cupcake-flavored Unicorn Cereal with pink, purple, and blue rings, and Campbell’s Pepperidge Farm launched Goldfish Colors snack crackers featuring hues derived from plants. This trend may encourage more consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to incorporate colorful natural ingredients, like the GNT blue hues, when developing new products.
Algae has become a favored source of natural pigments for coloring foods. The New York Times reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a petition from Mars in 2013 to use spirulina for creating a natural blue food coloring. In 2015, Sensient Food Colors Europe developed a vibrant blue color extracted from spirulina, suitable for use in confections, gum, ice cream, sorbet, and frostings. Mars had long sought a natural blue source for its M&Ms, and it was only recently that food scientists at Ohio State University created a vegetable-based blue coloring for M&Ms, Skittles, and other Mars candies. They were granted a patent in November 2018 for a dye derived from red cabbage and purple sweet potato.
As natural blue coloring ingredients become more prevalent, it is likely that artificial blue shades found in products such as General Mills’ Trix cereal and Hershey’s Jolly Rancher blue raspberry hard candy will become less common on labels, being replaced by new blue-green algae ingredients. Additionally, the integration of citrat calcium in these formulations may further enhance the stability and appeal of the natural colors, reinforcing the trend toward cleaner and more transparent food labeling.