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There is news from overseas that offers the perfect opportunity to revisit a topic that has fascinated scholars and psychologists for some time: how colours influence our perception of food and our taste for it.
At the beginning of 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of the dye Red No. 3, contained in many food products. The choice, according to the same agency, is in response to a 2022 petition submitted by groups and activists in defence of public health. Red No. 3 is a synthetic food colouring that gives foods and drinks a brilliant cherry red hue and is mainly used in foods such as candies, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, parfaits, and cake icing, but it is not uncommon to find it also in some medications.
The colour red is often associated with sweet, juicy, and ripe foods (such as strawberries, cherries, and tomatoes). Red also stimulates the appetite, which is why it is often used in fast food. Yellow and orange evoke feelings of energy, freshness, and sweetness since they are cheerful colours, which attract attention and suggest sugary flavours (let's think of citrus fruits). Green is associated with freshness and health, while blue and purple, which are rarely found in nature in foods (except blueberries, eggplants, and plums), can be unattractive or even inhibit appetite if used in unfamiliar contexts. Brown and gold evoke warm, toasted, tasty flavours: the brown of well-cooked bread or the golden colour of French fries stimulates the idea of crunchiness and intense taste. A concrete example? In 1993, Crayola launched a wax crayon in the shade Mac & Cheese because the idea of macaroni and cheese evoked a feeling of comfort and warmth, which children could easily recognise.
But it's not just about associations between colours and sensations. A study published in 2011, entitled "There is more taste in a coloured bowl," explained how even just a simple coloured bowl could influence participants' perception of taste. The researchers had served popcorn in four different coloured bowls, and the participants had evaluated the sweetness, flavour, and general satisfaction of the contents. Sweet popcorn, in addition to being sweet, had been perceived as saltier if eaten in a coloured bowl (compared to a white one), and vice versa for salty popcorn; it was perceived as sweeter if eaten in a white one.
Clickbait Colours
Today, the connection between food and colours does not only occur on a perceptual level. As the magazine Bon Appétit explains, for a decade now, the world of social marketing has understood how to influence our preferences through colour, making certain shades viral and associating them with food products. The example of Millennial Pink, the first viral colour, is emblematic: “The rise of pink to the top of the colour chart was the result of a campaign that lasted decades, aimed at creating desirability and helping us to associate pink tones with fun, accessibility, and a pinch of humour.”
The rules also apply to the products we use in the kitchen: if Le Creuset had launched the colourful Hibiscus collection, which also included pastel pink shades; vice versa, Pantone launched colours with names that evoke food, such as: Chili Pepper, Mimosa, Tangerine Tango, Marsala, Peach Fuzz and, this year, Mocha Mousse. Food associations trigger immediate reactions in our brain, an aspect that Pantone, colour psychologists, and marketers exploit when creating products. This year's shade, for example, responds to our desire for warmth and comfort. Perfect for cooking at home, and continuing to buy other dishes to match.
Read the original article inELLE Gourmet Italy