Meeting consumer preferences in plant-based meat substitute colors is essential to your brand's long-term success. Remember to consider these factors every time you introduce a new product to your catalog.
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1. Base Color Effects
Any substitute you work with, whether it's soy, wheat, or something else, has its own base color. Even if that color is white or off-white, it will affect any colorings you add to the protein mixture. If you're going for that classic meat lookalike, make sure you anticipate those color variations and adjust accordingly.
2. Coloration Sources
For many of those flocking to the meat-free movement, their goal is health-related. Perhaps they want to try the vegan diet or have food allergies that plant-based diets all but eliminate. On top of that, they may follow other health regimens, such as eating only kosher or halal foods. If you want to appeal to these segments of the population, it's important to pay close attention to where your food colorings come from.
For example, carmine is a very popular pigment in food coloring — offering that vibrant red color many people associate with fresh, raw meat. However, carmine is sourced from bugs, so any food that uses it automatically becomes non-vegan. Some brands use other natural options, like beets and radishes, to combat this concern.
3. “Raw” vs. “Cooked” Foods
Think about whether you plan to market this product as “raw” meat or “cooked," as meat often looks vastly different once it's exposed to thermal reactions. This will affect whether you reach for pink and red pigments or darker colors that imitate that fresh-off-the-grill brown.
4. Shelf Stability
The longer your food is meant to last, the more chance there is that it will age. Over time, your colorants may start to interact differently with the other ingredients, affecting their long-term color. This is something you should account for in your testing.
5. Color Consistency
All of these considerations are meant to manage one thing — color consistency. When consumers shop, they expect their foods, and especially their meats, to look a certain way. Something that doesn't appear to have the right color will turn people away and have them searching for something that looks more familiar, even if they're open to trying new things.
That's why HunterLab is dedicated to developing color measurement tools for plant-based meat substitutes. The more precise you can be, the better your products will sell.
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Maintain Color Integrity With HunterLab Spectrophotometers
Spectrophotometers are the gold standard for measuring the color of plant-based meat substitutes, and our selection offers high-quality and concise measurements. Take a look at our selection today and request a quote on the best option for your needs.
