Naturally nuanced: Colors and flavors for today’s foods and beverages – product development guide

Almost three-quarters of global consumers say it’s important to them that groceries be 100% natural. They don’t want artificial ingredients or additives. Most scrutinize product labels to see if they can make sense of the ingredients list — and there better not be anything that isn’t simple and recognizable on it.

Flavors and colors are no exception. Shoppers want them to be naturally derived from plant, animal, mineral or microorganism sources in a sustainable, responsibly sourced way. They also still desire foods and beverages that taste great and look appealing.

So how does a brand tick all these boxes in their formulation? And should they strive for an innovative new natural flavor and color combination or stick to more classic taste notes? That depends on what’s trending and what customers of different demographics are looking for. Read this product development guide for some important market intelligence and data, plus a rundown of natural color and flavor ingredients and the supplier partners who can provide them.