Natural Food Colouring Solutions for Baked Snacks
Baked snacks are innovating with natural colours and “clean” ingredient lists.
Consumers continue to strive for wellness in all aspects of their lives, from mental wellbeing to physical health. “Healthy snacks” can mean something different for everyone, but one common theme is a desire for natural or clean ingredients.
A snack having “real” or “natural” ingredients is the most important claim consumers seek when making purchasing decisions globally.
Innova 2022
In Europe, 41-53% of consumers think that the characteristic of being made of all-natural ingredients is an important factor to consider a savoury snack healthy.
Mintel 2021
Key Considerations when working with Natural Food Colourings in Baked Snacks
For developers looking to create visually appealing “healthy” baked snacks, or snacks in general, there are three main factors to keep in mind when using natural colourings:
ACID
Most baked snacks are relatively neutral in terms of acidity, so those colourings that thrive in lower pH ranges may perform differently than expected. For example, many anthocyanins that are known for their bright red or pink hues in sports drinks may offer more muted purples or blues in baked snacks.
LIGHT
For those snacks without fully opaque or windowless packaging, light stability needs to be considered. Most natural colourings are light stable, but if your packaging is transparent or has a clear window, colour experts can recommend only light-stable solutions to ensure on-shelf satisfaction.
HEAT
Because the colouring will be added to baked snacks before they undergo the heat processing inherent in baking, any colouring food or natural colour added needs to be heat-stable. Some natural colourings thrive under heat processing, like turmeric or spirulina, while others risk fading under hotter or longer baking times.
Nature’s rainbow offers baked snack developers opportunities across the whole shade spectrum of food colour for spicy, savory, or healthy baked snacks. From warm reds and browns to bright yellows and oranges to unique blues, purples, blacks, and greens, natural solutions are available.
Colour can be used to highlight unique flavours.
Whether you are extending your main lineup with new savory flavours or creating buzzworthy limited edition offers, colour is an important decision in the formulation process. Research shows that colour and flavour work hand-in-hand, with colour impacting flavour perception.
Sensient Consumer Research (2019) showed that when comparing coloured and a plain chips, consumers perceived the coloured ones to be tastier, fuller of flavour and more appetizing.
The flavour is the #1 influence on consumer purchasing decisions of snacks globally, according to Innova’s 2022 Category Survey. The same survey reported that a third of those who have increased their snack consumption did so because of increased variety and novelty in the category. Capturing consumer interest and shopping cart sales with delicious, unique flavours can be a major driver for commercial success.
60-74% of Europeans are interested in trying new flavours of crisps/nuts/savoury snacks.
Mintel 2022
In order to bring flavours to life, consider the colouring food and natural colours for baked snacks below and click the image to request a sample for your next project:
Lemon Yellow
Sunny Pineapple Yellow
Butterscotch Yellow
Peach Orange
Still unsure? Our team of colour experts is here to help you find the right solution for your project. Reach out to get quick answers to your questions and get your baked snack timeline on track!
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