Beyond taste, which is the essence of food, color plays a very important role in the mind of the consumer. Colours influence our appreciation of taste, as eating is not just a taste and smell experience. It has a lot to do with sight.
Our digestive process does not begin when food reaches our stomach, but when we see the food. Our brain fires neurons in the hypothalamus that send a message to the stomach, preparing it for eating. This is when the gastric process begins, in which the stomach begins to produce acidic juice that will dissolve the food we are about to ingest.
Therefore, the way we see the food is very important. It is not the same to see a delicious dish that we love, to one that is not to our liking. Our brain will not be so attracted to the second one, and it will not send such clear messages to the stomach. This will undoubtedly affect the digestive process.
Now, what is it that makes food look so appetizing? While much of it is in the smell and the way they are presented, color is a very important part. Did you know that without added color, sausages and meats are brown? It is the additives that give them that reddish colour that we like so much in our sausages, chorizos, salamis, hamburgers, etc. Or in the case of sweets, although fruits give a certain colour, without colouring agents the sweets would look cloudy and opaque.
On the one hand, colors such as red or orange, are associated by our brain with meat and citrus fruits respectively, so, foods of these colors are always appealing to us. Colours such as blue or turquoise, which are not very common in the nature of food, do not arouse as much interest for our appetite. On the other hand, the grey colour of the food means that the product has already expired, that it has fungus or that it is already rotten, which makes us uncomfortable.
In conclusion, color is almost as important as taste and presentation in food products. At IMBAREX, we are leaders in the production and distribution of natural food colorants. To learn more about our products, click here.
