Eating isn’t merely a matter of taking a bite and swallowing; it’s an art that engages all five senses, beginning with your sense of sight. Picture this: a velvety light pink scoop of strawberry ice cream nestled in a small silver cup, adorned with glistening dew on its surface and tendrils of frosty grey vapour playfully dancing above it. The psychological impact of food colour comes into play here, sparking emotions, evoking cravings, and setting taste expectations before the first bite. Can you almost taste it in your mind’s eye?
From the moment we set our eyes on food, our minds set to work, deciphering its flavours and textures by decoding its colour and appearance. Among these visual cues, the most influential is undoubtedly colour. Over millennia of evolution, we’ve learned that a green banana isn’t yet ripe, a yellow one is perfectly ready to be enjoyed, and a black one has aged past its prime. With each shift in hue, our perception of the food transforms, so when it comes to dark chocolate-flavoured ice cream, the shade of brown serves as the initial clue to its flavour for consumers. How do we make it as irresistible as possible?
A Palette of Natural Colours
At Symega, we’re dedicated to discovering responsible solutions for the ever-evolving food and beverage industry, and natural food colours have been one of our significant endeavours. Our years of research have yielded vibrant shades across the colour spectrum, suitable for various applications.
Yellow: From the tropical sweetness of pineapples and mangoes to the rich depths of butterscotch and saffron, an array of flavour profiles boasts their unique shades of yellow. Extracted from naturally occurring bio-components like Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Curcumin, and Annatto (derived from the seeds of the Achio tree), these colours ensure 100% safety for consumption.
Orange: Utilizing extracts from Paprika, Annatto, and Beta-Carotene, we conjure up hues that perfectly complement tangy orange and savoury peach flavours.
Green: Our green colour derives its hue from Chlorophyll, the same natural component that lends leaves their verdant shades. This ensures that pistachio and green apple flavours showcase the ideal shade of green.
Blue: Extracted from Spirulina, a type of cyanobacteria renowned as a superfood, our vibrant blue hues find their home in cotton candy and blueberry ice creams.
Purple: The rare deep purple colour, rarely seen in the natural world, is often the result of a pigment called Anthocyanins. At Symega, we’ve meticulously extracted these to create a natural purple food colour ideal for ice creams with blackcurrant or blueberry flavours.
Brown: The rich, earthy brown is drawn from caramel, culminating in a luxurious, velvety chocolate experience.
Red: Extracted from beetroot, our natural deep red colour adds that extra pizzazz to ice cream flavours like red velvet and mango. Pink: Flavours like strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, and red velvet come alive with our pink natural colour, created using carmine, a naturally occurring colour.
Pink: Flavours like strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, and red velvet come alive with our pink natural colour, created using carmine, a naturally occurring colour.
Staying True to Nature
The concern often raised by manufacturers when opting for natural ingredients over synthetic ones is their stability. Ice creams are typically packaged in opaque containers, shielding the light-sensitive natural components. These containers, combined with storage in cold, dry environments, help maintain the product’s integrity over time and make it the perfect place to implement natural colours.
Changing Tides in a Knowledgeable Market
We all recall the excitement of seeing our tongues change colour after indulging in a lollipop or popsicle. With changing food habits and the lifestyle choice of eating out more frequently, people are concerned about health factors. We’re aware of the alarming studies that surface daily, cautioning us about artificial colours and other synthetic constituents in our foods.
In response, the global market has shifted its preferences. Growing markets like India are adapting swiftly to global trends. With its large, educated, and youthful population, India embodies the aspirations of a developed nation coupled with the tenacity of a developing one. This new generation of consumers will undoubtedly set stronger norms and international standards for the food their children consume.
Natural colours aren’t just a visual treat; they assure safer, healthier, and more sustainable food. As we continue to embrace the myriad of natural colours that nature offers, we find ourselves on a journey towards a more vibrant and wholesome future in the world of ice cream and beyond.
To know more about our range of natural food colours, contact us at marketing@symega.com.
