A Sweet Guide to Natural Colour for Confectionery
Candy and confectionary foods are primarily experiential for consumers.
As shoppers continue to seek out “little treats” in their daily stressful lives, these small indulgences provide interesting and unique flavours, textures, and appearances.
Consuming candy creates a moment of happiness for many people, giving them a short break during a busy day. 46% of European consumers eat something indulgent every day.
MINTEL 2024
Colour can add value to the whimsical and nostalgic feelings that candy and confectionary goods tend to spark.
The visual effect of a colourful treat hints at exciting flavours to come and can help draw interest and indicate appeal. All things new & novel keep confectionary fun.
Most customers purchase confection on impulse, and colour can play an important role in catching shoppers’ eyes. 79% of German chocolate consumers say they often buy chocolate on impulse.
MINTEL 2024
The art of virality in confection:
The visual nature of social media has made its mark on the sweets industry as the Internet age continues to showcase the sensory appeal of confectionery innovations.
Of the global launches in sugar confectionery and gum sub-categories in the past five years, pastilles, gums, jellies and chews and mixed assortments see the highest penetration of social media claims.
MINTEL 2024
A Sweet Approach to Natural Colour in Confection
Panned Confection
There are several factors to consider when panning, such as pH, heat, moisture, and raw materials. Ingredients involved in panning such as sugar, gums, flavours, or bulking agents can affect the end product as well. The right manufacturing and product sources are needed to get that signature shiny outer shell coating.
Gummy & Jelly Confection
Depending on the duration and intensity of the gummy or fruit snack processing, heat and pH levels can vary in terms of stability. Overcoming any base notes is another key consideration for developers.
Fat-Based Confection
In fat-based or oil-based products, water soluble colours will result in congealing or specking. Depending on the target shade end application, light stability or heat stability can be important. Preventing colour bleeding is another consideration.
Keeping Colour Stable: Confectionery Considerations
Heat
Not all natural colours can withstand high heat. Spirulina, for example, is not very heat stable. In confectionary applications, a high-performing solution like our proprietary heat-stable spirulina portfolio – Marine Blue™ – makes more sense to withstand harsher temperatures, like in hard candy.
Acidity
Acidity can have an impact on the performance of colour solutions, both synthetic and natural. Sometimes this effect is helpful, while others can be challenging depending on the product, shade, or solution. Most anthocyanins create reds and pinks and thrive in low pH situations.
Light
Some natural colours can be light sensitive, like turmeric. Exposure to light for a period of time can cause colour to bleach out or fade in many applications. In confection, it’s a good idea to pay attention to storage and packing methods to prevent unwanted colour effects from light. Here at Sensient, we have alternatives if light is a concern, and our application lab can work with you to identify the best option for your product to remain stable over shelf life.
Regulatory changes
Titanium dioxide is banned in the European Union limiting how the colour white can be created in applications. Alternatives like Sensient’s Avalanche™ can be successful solutions. For certain caramel options in brown shades, NATCOL cannot confirm that they originate from natural sources. To address this, Sensient has developed a comprehensive range of brown hues derived from fruits and vegetables, offering a natural alternative to caramel colors with Natural Brown.
Solubility
In confection, colours that are oil- or water-soluble might need dispersion depending on the base materials. It’s common for oil-soluble colours to bleed in fat-based confection like compound coating. Standard water-soluble colours are incompatible with oil-based applications. Our Advanced Dispersion Technology bridges this gap to provide vibrant natural colours across the whole rainbow that tackle issues like specking, bleeding, and reduced vibrancy.
A Rainbow of Natural Colour Solutions for Confection:
Sensient provides a rainbow of natural colours and colouring foods to choose from. Our team can work with developers to ensure that the right choice is made to optimize stability and pigment in any application.
69% of European consumers say they pay attention to natural ingredients in confectionery
MINTEL 2024
Many developers are reimagining classic sweets with real, simple ingredients – cleaner labels – avoiding artificial colours and ingredients
Confection News 2024
Reds & Pinks
Bold reds and bright pinks are possible with anthocyanins for low-pH confection. Sensient offers a broad range of colouring foods to achieve any desired shade of red or pink. Beet-based colour such as our Uberbeet™ can be a great option for red shades; it’s a high-performance, heat-stable beet colouring solution that enables food and beverage manufacturers around the world to create bright red products that undergo heat processing. For natural carmine replacement Sensient developed stable solutions based on vegetables and fruits that provide vivid and stable red or pink.
Oranges & Yellows
Depending on the pH and the base of the product, orange in confectionery can be achieved with natural colours like beta carotene, annatto, and paprika. For yellow, developers can look to riboflavin, yellow iron oxide, or turmeric to get the right shade match. Sensient offers a broad spectrum of curcumin-based solutions and other bold yellows that are ideal for confectionery applications.
Blues & Purples
Our Marine Blue portfolio offers highly stable options for spirulina’s bright sky-blue shades; it’s ideal for gummy applications.
Greens
Natural green shades are possible with wide variety of colour solutions based on Chlorophyllin, (Cu)-Chlorophylls or even selective colouring food options. Depending on the warmth or coolness of the green needed, we can also provide blends of blue and yellow components to make a needed green shade.
Browns
Whether a light or dark brown is desired our Natural Brown platform can be great caramel or cocoa replacement option for confectionery applications. Considering the current cocoa crisis, being able to produce a natural brown is more important than ever. Sensient’s brown solutions are highly stable and can provide a rich, coffee brown or – if desired – a lighter, more milky brown appearance.
Whites
If your brand’s products require whitening or opacifying effects in its formulations, Sensient’s Avalanche™ portfolio presents a wide assortment of options for almost any application to maximize stability in an existing formula. Avalanche™ solutions are designed to work well in many confectionery products, from jelly sweets to panned candies.
Improving Colour Performance & Impact with Technology:
Advanced Dispersion Technology
For many oil-based applications like morsels and coatings, any water-soluble colour will result in congealing or specking. Advanced Dispersion Technology can help lock colours into place to prevent any colour bleeding or discolouration.
Colour Inclusions™
Sensient’s portfolio of Color Inclusions™ add bursts of colour to confectionery applications. With fat-free, sugar-free, and vegan options available, Colour Inclusions™ are a ready-to-use instant upgrade to products like hard candies or panned confections. They come in a variety of shades and can be mixed or matched. They can also add textural interest to applications.
