FDBusiness.com

Research has showed that 50% of shoppers consciously try to avoid artificial additives, with colourings typically being at the top of their blacklist.

More than one third of consumers would even buy sweets more often if they were made from natural ingredients and 66% are motivated to take a critical look at product labels in order to check them for undesired ingredients, GNT Group said.

In fact, when buying sweets, shoppers are demanding natural colours and have a clear definition of these in mind, expecting them to only originate from edible raw materials such as fruit and vegetables.

The new figures are particularly timely in the lead-up to Easter, when colourful treats such as bunny-shaped confectionery and decorate chocolate eggs are particularly popular with consumers.

“Today, artificial and other additive colours can be replaced by colouring foods,” a GNT Group spokesperson said. “Such colouring concentrates made from fruit, vegetables, and edible plants fit with consumer demands for natural and recognisable ingredients. The use of colouring foods in confectionery shows sustained and significant growth in recent years and is increasingly considered to be a critical factor in the success of new product launches.”