Belgium

Belgium is a thriving nation in Western Europe. It is recognized around the world for its remarkable economy, advanced manufacturing, and rich culture. With a GDP estimated at about USD 662 billion in 2024, Belgium is among the richest nations in Europe. It is bordered by France, Luxembourg, and Germany, and to the north is the Netherlands. Belgium also has a sea border with the United Kingdom across the North Sea.

In the country’s GDP, the manufacturing sector plays a crucial role. In the manufacturing of any product, there are various small and large components required. Some help in the manufacturing while other improves the visual appearance of products, like colours. They make the products attractive for customers, which attracts their attention and boosts the sales of the products. Belgium manufacturers use colours in a wide range of products, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pet food, and personal care items.

Belgium colour manufacturers prepare colours, but they are not sufficient to fulfill all the colour-related demand of the country. To fill this gap and get more profit, big Belgian colour traders, merchants, distributors, and suppliers import colours from other countries like India, China,  and the United Kingdom at low prices and export them within the country at high prices. Some sell the colourants under the same brand name from which they bought them, while others create their own labels and sell their own branding.

In Belgium, there are various manufacturing industries, where colours play a crucial role. Here we are talking about some of the industries that are mostly influenced by colours.

In the food and beverage manufacturing industry of Belgium, colours play a crucial role. Colour makes the food items appealing and fun for customers, which attracts their attention and boosts product sales. However, Belgian food manufacturers often face some challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. They want high-quality food colours that provide a vibrant colour to products and do not fade or change for a long time. Belgian food manufacturers overcome their challenges by using high-quality synthetic food colours in their products. Synthetic food colours come in a wide range of shades that do not fade or change on products during manufacturing and storage of products. Bright and stable coloured products also improve the brand recognition of the product in the market and win the consumer’s trust. In Belgium, most of the food and beverage manufacturing industries are located near its big cities like Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Mechelen, and Waremme. According to Statista, the revenue of the Food market in Belgium amounts to US$43.14bn in 2025, and it is expected to grow annually by 3.71% (CAGR 2025-2030).

Colours play a crucial role in the field of cosmetics and the personal care industry of Belgium. They make the makeup and personal care products, such as lipsticks, foundations, blushers, concealers, soaps, and shampoos, appealing, which attracts the attention of customers and boosts the product sales. However, Belgian cosmetic manufacturers often face some challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. They want premium quality cosmetic colours that provide stability and consistency to their products. Belgium's cosmetic manufacturers overcome their challenges by using premium quality synthetic colour for their products, like pigments and dyes. Synthetic cosmetic colours came in various colour shades, allowing cosmetic manufacturers to create a unique coloured product that improves the brand recognition and sales of the products. In Belgium, most of the cosmetic manufacturing industries are located in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent (Gent), Bruges (Brugge), and Liège. According to Statista, the revenue of the Beauty & Personal Care market in Belgium is estimated to be US$3.11bn in 2025, and it is expected to grow with an annual growth rate of 3.59% (CAGR 2025-2030).

In the pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry of Belgium, colours play a crucial role. They make medicines such as tablets, capsules, syrups, injectables, and suspensions, differentiated for consumers. This reduces the chances of taking the wrong medicines and also improves brand recognition of the brand in the market. However, Belgian pharmaceutical manufacturers often same challenges in selecting the right colour for their medicines. By using high-quality synthetic food-grade colours in their pharmaceutical products, manufacturers can overcome their colour-related problem. Synthetic food-grade colours are approved by the various governmental bodies around the world that ensure synthetic food-grade colours are safe for use in medicines. Most of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industries of Belgium are located in Beerse, Puurs, Heist-op-den-Berg, Wavre, and Brussels. According to Statista, the revenue of the pharmaceutical market of Belgium amounts to US$8.41bn in 2025, and it is expected to grow with an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 3.09%, leading to a market volume of US$9.80bn by 2030.

In Belgium’s chocolate manufacturing industry, colours play a crucial role. They make the chocolate attractive for consumers, especially for children and women, who are the prime consumers of chocolate. However, chocolate manufacturers in Belgium often face challenges in selecting the right colour for their chocolate products. They want premium quality chocolate colours that do not fade or change on chocolates, making them appealing and attractive during manufacturing and storage. Belgian chocolate manufacturers can achieve this by using synthetic chocolate colours in their products. These colours come with high quality and do not fade or change on products over time. Synthetic chocolate colours come in various colour shades that help chocolate manufacturers to create brand recognition of their products in the market. In Belgium, most of the chocolate manufacturing industries are located near its big cities like Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges (Brugge), Ghent (Gent), and Liege (Liège). According to Statista, the revenue of the chocolate confectionery market amounts to US$442.26m in 2025, and it is expected to grow annually by 2.31% (CAGR 2025-2030).

Colour also plays a crucial role in the field of the animal feed manufacturing industry of Belgium. Colour makes the various animal feed, such as for poultry, swine, or cattle, appealing to animals, which encourages them to eat the feed properly and stay healthy. However, animal feed manufacturers in Belgium often face challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. They want high-quality colours that maintain the visual appeal of their products. Manufacturers can overcome their challenge by using synthetic food colour in their pet food products. These colours come with high quality and do not fade or change on pet food products during manufacturing and storage. Synthetic pet food colours also help in building the brand recognition of the pet food in the market, which ultimately boosts the product sales. Most of the pet food manufacturing industries of Belgium are located in Ghent (Gent), Beernem, Schoten, Mechelen, and Ranst. According to Statista, the revenue of the pet food manufacturing industry of Belgium amounts to US$887.49m in 2025, and it is expected to grow annually by 2.15% (CAGR 2025-2030).

People from Belgium have a cultural preference for certain colours. With respect to Belgian food and beverage, people lean towards warm browns, golden yellows, creamy whites, and caramel shades, reminding of the nation’s renowned chocolates, waffles, and beers. For soft and refined cosmetic and personal care products, peach, rose, and earthy colours are widely accepted. In Belgium’s pharmaceuticals industry, the colours white, light blue, and green are dominant because these are the safe and calm colours associated with trust and effectiveness. For chocolate products, the preferred colour is the rich and glossy dark shades, deep brown, and mahogany. Belgian manufacturers understand these cultural preferences and use them to strategically increase the demand for their products in the Belgian market.

Every country has its own governmental body that regulates the use of colour in products such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, or more, whether the colour is synthetic or natural. In the food products, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), in cosmetics, the Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, and in pharmaceuticals, the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP), oversee the quality and safety of colours. These governmental bodies ensure the quality of colour by conducting inspections, sampling, testing, and enforcement actions from time to time.

In Belgium, starting a new business is also a challenging task. Startups have to face various challenges, including competition with existing products in the market, pricing differences, product appearance, and customer trust. Startups overcome their problems by using high-quality synthetic colours in their products. Synthetic colours come in various colour shades that allow startups to create a unique colour product that improves brand recognition in the market and ultimately boosts product sales. Synthetic food colours are also an affordable option compared to other colouring alternatives, which allows manufacturers to sell their product at competitive prices.

If you are a manufacturer or startup a business in Belgium and looking for high-quality colours for your products, you can go with Ajanta Food Colours, a leading company in the synthetic food colours manufacturing industry with over 75 years of legacy. The company holds various awards and certificates from India and from other countries where Ajanta exports its high-quality colours. These awards and certificates includes the Arch of Europe Award, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Award, certifications from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), as well as Halal, Alcumus ISOQAR, Star-K Kosher, Food Safety System 22000 (FSSC 22000), and ISOQAR certifications, among others that show Ajanta's expertise in the field of synthetic food coloured manufacturing industry.

To know more about Ajanta Food Colours and its range of products, please contact us today!