Consumers are clamoring for products with fewer chemicals and more natural ingredients. This trend — along with a seminal 2007 study that indicated artificial food colors make children hyperactive — started the push to get more natural colors in products.
Natural colors are increasingly becoming a must-have for manufacturers and consumers. For manufacturers, there has been a 77% growth rate for new products using natural colors between 2009 and 2013. Other stats show 68% of all food and beverage products launched in North America from September 2015 to August 2016 used natural colors.
On the consumer end, 42% of global consumers — 29% in North America — say it’s very important to eat foods without artificial colors. And even though natural colors can be costly, 23% of North Americans are willing to pay a premium for them.
As natural colors quickly become standard in the food business, here's everything you need to know about this trend.
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