I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since the color craze swept over social media. Do you remember when one week had rainbow food, and another week had jet black charcoal? Well, the rainbow fad faded and charcoal has controversial health benefits.
The irony in colored food shows the difference in consumer perception. The rainbow and charcoal fad got crazy viral in its time, yet this was also the time where artificial color was considered a bad idea. Most big food companies were rolling out natural color versions of their products in the droves at this time.
Perhaps the people who post these pictures on Instagram don’t care about what’s in this food. Most of these foods are not only in restaurants, but they are also specialty foods you don’t eat every day. Maybe it’s ok to just have one bite of an oddly colored hotdog, or perhaps it’s not even important to eat it at all. Maybe just the picture on Instagram matters.
Maybe it’s only in CPG where natural color and flavor matter. It’s very hard to get nutritional information when you’re eating out, and I’m sure most people don’t count how many calories are in their drinks every Friday night.
Yet even in the CPG world, color relates to fun. I’m always a fan of sharing the example of Trix cereal, which had to switch colors back to artificial because the cereal was boring.
Another example is Canada’s love for kraft mac and cheese. Kraft had to get rid of yellow #5 and people were outraged! So Kraft did it stealthily to convince everyone it’s the same mac and cheese Canadians know and love.
Color is a huge deal, and it plays a big role in not only sight but the perceptions of flavor. Some people find the unnatural exciting, a burst of happiness before a dull day, while others treat it like poison, and will never touch the stuff.
Who will you listen to?
Here’s what Carrie has to say:
Would YOU try Halo Top’s new Stardust Sundae? Available at its LA scoop shops, Halo Top’s ‘off-menu,’ treat is everything trendy and Instragrammable. Personally, it reminds me of childhood, vacations in Disney and Space Mountain. But I’m wary of all that color – it reads very artificial and unnatural. Not something I’d usually associate with Halo Top. Thoughts?
