Elevate Sensory Experience in Soups, Sauces, and Dressings
Soups, Sauces, and Dressings Set for Growth
The pandemic has had a profound effect on how consumers live. For many, working from home became standard, and out-of-home experiences like dining out have been very limited. Consequently, in-home cooking and meal preparation have grown significantly.
More than a third of European consumers reported cooking more from scratch since the start of the pandemic.
(Mintel)
As cooking from scratch has become more common, soups, sauces, and dressings have offered a great opportunity for convenience while also elevating the in-home experience. According to Mintel, the number of sauce and dressing launches has steadily risen over the last 5 years and peaked in 2020. According to our post-COVID predictions, consumers will remain cautious about eating out and data shows that more than half of European consumers plan to cook more from scratch even after the pandemic. Mintel expects most European sauce and soup markets to grow further throughout the next five years. How can brands differentiate their products and use natural colourings to stand out on the supermarket shelves or in web shops?
Natural Colouring Solutions through the Lenses of Trends
As competition intensifies and consumers’ needs evolve, brands are looking for new ways to catch consumers’ attention. Research published in the Physiology and Behavior Journal showed that visual stimuli alter the perception of taste, smell, and flavour. Consumers “eat with their eyes first” and visual appearance plays a key role in addressing shoppers. Let’s take a look at some examples of how the right colour can visually support trends and have a positive influence on consumer preference…
Never too Natural
One key driver of consumer choices is the increasing awareness of what goes into food and beverages. As previously pointed out about the future of clean labels, consumer preferences evolve from a “clean label” to a more holistic “clean eating” pattern. While “clean label” is not officially defined, for consumers it is certainly associated with not only short, but simple and natural ingredient lists.
Consumers associating organic claims with the lack of additives and preservatives (Mintel) results in a great opportunity for organic products to meet the growing interest in naturalness. In 2020, nearly 20% of soup, sauce, and dressing launches were organic. Organic food and beverages need to meet stringent standards. The organic certified range, produced per all requirements of EU regulation, can help you deliver 100% vibrant looks and certified organic assurance.
Classics in Plant-Based Edition
Since 2016, the number of vegan food launches in Europe has nearly doubled, reaching almost 12% of the total food launches in 2020 (Mintel). Consumers show a growing interest in plant-based alternatives across multiple segments, for example…
As table sauces often accompany meat dishes, plant-based versions have a great chance to appeal to vegan shoppers or experimental consumers by complementing plant-based meat analogues.
As mayonnaise is one of the most often used condiments among Europeans, new exciting plant-based launches are on the rise. If you would like to whiten or opacify your vegan mayonnaise, check out the AvalancheTM range to be able to formulate without titanium dioxide.
Along with sauces and dressings, plant-based cooking and pasta sauces are enjoying a growing popularity, as supported by the fact that 41% of UK consumers find sauces that complement meat alternatives appealing. This vibrant colouring food range of plant extracts and concentrates can make any vegan Bolognese sauce stand out on the shelf.
Ethical Credentials in the Focus
There is growing global attention to the impact of people’s daily life and choices on the future of the environment. As a result, consumers are becoming more invested in the ethical and sustainability side of their food and beverage choices. While flavour and the enjoyment of food and beverages still play an inarguably important role in the purchase decision, consumers express a growing interest in products and brands that help them to make more sustainable and ethical choices.
Formulating without palm-oil and palm derivatives is one way to meet consumers’ desire for more environmentally friendly products. The palm-free range enables companies to create products that stand out without compromising on the color shade or vibrancy.
Traveling through the Senses
Consumers are looking for new ways to bring the out-of-home experience to their homes. Experimenting with new flavours and cuisines creates an opportunity to travel through the senses for an elevated in-home dining experience.
Whether it is a spicy Moroccan sauce, a Tennessee-style sweet whiskey glaze, or a ginger teriyaki sauce, innovative and ethnic flavours call for a bright and vibrant look. Complying with consumers’ desire for naturalness, the additive- and preservative-free Cardea range can maximize visual appeal while supporting an all-natural positioning.
Technical Considerations
There are some technical details to bear in mind when creating naturally vibrant soups, sauces, or dressings. For example…
pH BASE
POWDER
OR LIQUID
PRODUCTS
TYPE OF
PACKAGING
HEAT
TREATMENT
To find the best colouring solution for your applications, please contact our technical team for a consultation. In case you already have a certain product in mind, please feel free to request a sample here.
