The natural world offers a variety of beautiful color schemes – from lush greens and watery blues to rich earth tones. Incorporate these colors into your designs to add a touch of the outdoors.
The iridescent sheens of a beetle’s wings, the flash of yellow from a fluttering sulfur butterfly, the deep purple of the humble mulberry – these are the colors that inspire us, and they offer a wealth of design opportunities. But it’s not just the colors of plants that can be found in nature; the colors of light are just as dazzling.
Natural Food Colors
As consumers demand clean labels with no artificial and synthetic colors, manufacturers are searching for safe and natural alternatives that also meet high quality and stability standards. The experts from ADM, GNT, Kalsec and Sensient Food Colors discuss the trends in the natural colors industry.
Green shades range from eucalyptus leaves to moss and ferns. In addition to its aesthetic value, green represents healing and regeneration in the human mind and body.
Blue hues evoke feelings of relaxation and calmness, so they pair well with kid-friendly bakes and energizing snacks like protein bars and muffins. Warmer blues, such as Pantone’s 2022 Color of the Year Very Peri, can elicit a feeling of excitement and adventure, so they work nicely in products that aim to delight the senses.
The pigment compounds in anthocyanins vary slightly depending on their plant source, causing them to exhibit different hues in food applications. This is why many color manufacturers produce anthocyanins from vegetables, rather than fruit, to ensure consistent performance and to comply with strict FDA regulatory requirements.