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In today’s world, manufacturers use colour in their products to make them stand out on store shelves, capture customer attention, and boost sales, and you may have experienced this every time you visit supermarkets. Colour is an important marketing tool, and manufacturers around the world strategically use colours in their products. They choose colours based on consumer psychology, cultural preferences, regulatory guidelines, and brand identity, which differ from region to region, like Asians prefer bright red colour in beverages and Europeans prefer muted pastel in snacks.
Let’s dive into the fascinating world of colour in manufacturing and uncover why the right shade of colour is not just a random colour there’s a strategy behind it.
Colour Isn’t Universal—It’s Regional
As we know, every region has its colour favourites that influence the buying decisions of customers. For example, in Europe, people prefer natural tones like pastel pinks, earthy greens, and creamy shades in confectionery and bakery products. In Japan, soft tones like peach, lavender, or matcha green are often chosen to reflect minimalism and seasonal aesthetics. In North America and Asia, bold and vibrant colours like bright red, electric blue, vibrant yellow, and hot pink are preferred, especially in food products such as cereals, candies, and beverages. Smart manufacturers study these preferences closely and use colour in their products accordingly that increase their sales.
The Psychology Behind Colour Choices
Colour has a direct impact on human psychology. It influences the taste perception, quality judgment, and even trust. Studies have shown that customers often associate some colour with some specific products such as:
- Red with sweetness, excitement, and urgency (great for beverages, sauces, candies)
- Green with freshness, health, and organic quality (used in pharma, snacks, pet food)
- Blue with calmness and reliability (seen in dairy, cosmetics, oral care)
- Yellow with happiness and warmth (popular in bakery, cereal, and seasoning blends)
Companies choose colour shades based on how they want to perceive the product to customers. A fruit drink of vibrant purple colour may signal exotic berries, while a clean white or soft yellow vitamin supplement signals purity and trust.
Local Regulations Shape Global Colour Usage
Colour is permitted to be used by the governmental body of the country, whether they are natural or synthetic food colour. Many colours that are allowed to be used in a product are banned from others. This forces companies to select the colour that is approved to use in their region. For Instance:
- Tartrazine (Yellow 5) is commonly used in the United States, but it requires warning labels on products in the European Union.
- Red 3 (Erythrosine) is banned by the FDA in cosmetics in the U.S., but it is still allowed to be used in some food products.
- Similarly, Sunset Yellow FCF (E110) is restricted in Norway and Finland, but it is widely used in Asian countries.
Because of these regulatory differences, various big companies that selling their products globally uses different colour formulations for their products to sell or export them legally. Manufacturers work closely with synthetic food colour supplier to ensure regulatory compliance of product without compromising their visual appeal.
Product Type and Packaging Influence Colour Selection
Manufacturers do not select colour just like that, they choose it according to product type, format, material, shelf life, and packaging. In transparent bottles, manufacturers prefer liquid colours that have excellent light stability. In baked goods heat-stable colours are required that do not fade or change over time like synthetic lake colour or encapsulated dyes. For instant noodles and dry mixes oil-dispersible colours are ideal which do not fade or bleed on products. If the packaging is metallic, certain hues might appear darker, so manufacturers uses lighter colour shades to balance the colour of the product. The interaction between colour and packaging affects the buying decision of customers and how they see products on shelves.
Branding, Identity, and Consistency
Big brands are not just selling the products they are selling an experience that customers remember. That’s why they are focused on the appearance and consistency of colour in their products. A chocolate-flavoured drink of a brand appears exactly the same dark brown shade whether you purchase it in India or Brazil. By using high-quality synthetic food colour, manufacturers achieve that. They often partner with trusted and established food colour suppliers who offer custom colour matching services and documentation like COA, TDS, and regulatory compliance certificates. This colour consistency in the product also boosts brand recalls which boost sales. A minor change in shade may risk the brand's trust in the market.
Final Thoughts
From culture and psychology to regulations and branding, colour plays a bigger role in the manufacturing than most people realized. That’s why manufacturers around the world use high-quality colours with different shades, helping them to capture the attention of customers while staying compliant and protecting their brand identity.
If you are a food, cosmetics, or pharmaceutical manufacturer looking for stable, regulatory-compliant synthetic food colour, choosing the right food colour manufacturer is matters more than ever. Today, your product’s visual appeal and colour play a crucial role in a consumer’s buying decision.
Looking for the perfect food colour for your product line?
Ajanta Food Colours is a leading synthetic food colour manufacturing company with over 75 years of expertise. From stable and safe formulations to full regulatory compliance (COA, TDS, and certificates), we help brands stand out across shelves worldwide. Reach out today and explore our wide range of custom food colouring solutions.