Example of how consumers can influence Big Food

Second to packaging, the color of a beverage is the first thing consumers notice when eyeing drink options sitting on a store shelf. Whether the vibrant yellow hue of a lemonade or the dark brown of a cola, color can add to a beverage’s visual appeal. But developing the exact right shade can be tricky as the colors need to work with all of the other ingredients and remain stable in the finished product.

Caramel color continues to be the most widely consumed food coloring ingredient in the world, as it’s primarily used in soft drinks. As the demand for organic ingredients grows, D. D. Williamson last year developed an acid-proof, certified organic caramel color for the North American market.

Demand for natural colors is currently outpacing growth for synthetic colors, prompted in large part by consumers’ increasing interest in all-natural ingredients and “clean” labels. The world market for natural colors increased by almost 35 percent between 2005 and 2009. Everything indicates that the current trend of converting from synthetic to natural colors in the global food industry will continue. The European Union enforced stricter labeling laws for synthetic colors on the heels of a study that found that certain synthetic colors could aggravate hyperactivity in children. In March, in the United States, the FDA Food Advisory Committee looked into the issue of artificial colors, namely the FD&C colors, such as FD&C Red #40 and FD&C Yellow #5, and concluded that research did not show a link between hyperactivity in children and consumption of synthetic colors, but also agreed further research needed to be done.

Bonnie - as we have said many times, one of the most influential ways you can impact your health is how you spend your dollars. If demand for artificial ingredients continues to wane, Big Food must adjust or risk losing Big Money!

It has never been more important to exercise you dollar rights. For example, the Campbell Soup company has just announced that they will be adding back sodium to their Select Harvest soups, stating that "good health does not sell." What a cop out. Whole Foods and hundreds of other healthy food producers beg to differ.