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When should food manufacturers be particularly concerned about their choice of food colors, whether natural or artificial? Do consumers care about whether a product uses natural versus artificial colors? How much does the choice of food colors influence US consumers’ purchasing decisions?
These are some of the key questions the Natural Colours Association (@NATCOL) set out to answer in the NATCOL US Consumer Food and Beverage Colors Attitudes Study, 2025. This landmark research explored how aware consumers are of natural food colors, how they feel about their use across different product categories, and how color choices factor into purchase decisions. The study also looked at the most effective ways to communicate the use of natural colors on packaging.
The research was conducted in late 2025 and was based on an on-line survey of 1,004 US consumers. All respondents were responsible for household purchasing, and the sample was designed to reflect the general US population, across gender, ethnicity, geography and income.
As a follow up to the 2024 study, this new research aimed to deepen the understanding of natural food colors. In particular, the study examined consumer awareness of recent legislative developments at both the state and federal levels. The findings show that roughly half of the U.S. population is aware of these changes.
“At NATCOL, we work to increase awareness of natural colors and champion their use,” says Luc Ganivet, President of NATCOL. “This study represents a major investment by our association, giving us valuable insights into how consumers’ think about food colors overall – and natural colors in particular. Most importantly, it equips our members, who supply natural colors – as well as their customers in the food and beverage industry– with actionable insights on how food colors influence consumers purchasing decisions and support product success.”
While the findings from both the 2024 and 2025 studies remain largely consistent – showing a clear preference for natural colors over artificial ones there are signs of a greater bandwidth in distinction between synthetic and natural options compared to the previous study. This may point to growing confusion in the market and calls for more consumer education.