Do Natural Colours Affect a Product’s Taste Profile?
Colour Cues Flavour and Taste Expectations
In our 2017 large-scale consumer retail study, we tested different products to better quantify the value of colour in today’s food and beverages. This research was an online quantitative study where consumers judged product concepts solely based on images.Interestingly enough, consumers associated greater colour intensity with better taste and more flavour in 89% of the tested products, even though zero taste-testing was involved.
Consumer verbatims about the ‘high coloured’ concept also echoed positive sentiments for its flavour perception.
What’s noteworthy in the Superfruit Greek Yogurt Bite example is the flavour perceptions are all being solely driven by visual appeal since taste testing was not a part of this study. Obviously, the taste will need to live up to the consumers’ expectations delivered by the colour.
Natural Colour Free-From Compromise
Natural food colour should never impact a product’s taste. It is accurate that many natural colour sources have the potential to impart off-notes in certain applications, but this is an area where significant progress has been made in the natural colour industry.
Myth 3: Off-flavours are a common problem with natural colours. Discover the truth here…––––––– WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO LEARN MORE –––––––
Generally when working with natural colours there is more complexity, but as you learned from the video a solution is almost always available.
Colour from fruits and vegetables should offer brands a competitive advantage, not compromise consumer appeal. The Pure-S™ technology is a great example of how far the industry has come. It has opened new shade possibilities by making natural sources that were previously unsuitable for some applications now available. When I look at our data on the influence of colour on taste perception, it’s very clear just how closely colour and flavour work together. One shouldn’t work against the other, and they are both equally as important when it comes to winning over consumers. In some cases, we can provide integrated colour/flavour systems by leveraging the expertise of Sensient Flavors. Interested in natural colour free-from all compromises? You can begin trial work by requesting colour samples here or setting up a consultation with one of our experts.
