It has been more than a decade since European packaged food manufacturers, spurred by a combination of consumer demand and regulatory changes, initiated a wave of conversions from synthetic to natural colors. More recently, a number of major North American packaged food brands and foodservice operators announced their intention to switch over to colors derived from natural sources.
It seems clear that transition to natural is global in nature. According to Mintel, more than 75% of the food and drink products launched globally in the first three quarters of 2018 used colors from natural sources versus synthetic options. Food manufacturers in Europe, North America, Latin America, and most of Asia are employing colors from natural sources in the majority of new product launches. Given the ever-increasing consumer demand for “naturalness,” there isn’t much reason to see this change slowing down in the near future.