Flavors and Colors in Nutraceuticals: Complexity, Nuance, and Clean Label Alternatives

As the food, beverage, and nutraceutical industries respond to consumer distrust of artificial colors and flavors, brands must consider many factors when reformulating or creating new products, including performance, sensory appeal, cost-in-use, and cost to consumers.

Natural Alternatives Emerge

Companies are facing significant pressure from both state and federal regulators to reformulate existing SKUs, said Doris Ip, senior marketing manager of Layn Natural Ingredients, but retailers are another strong influence, imposing their own requirements for products. 

Over half of color-related discussions relate to reformulating existing products today, wrote Tim Truby, vice president of global colors and ingredients, and Erin Harman, category manager at Mane Inc., in a joint interview. Reformulation discussions are even more prevalent in the beverage, snack, and confectionery categories.

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“Consumers immediately judge a product based on its appearance, and color significantly influences first-time purchase intent … The key is identifying a range of acceptable colors,” said Truby and Harman. “Sometimes this means reversing the traditional approach and selecting a flavor that aligns with an achievable natural color, rather than trying to match a color to a predetermined flavor.”

The situation “goes beyond typical line extensions and feels more like a full portfolio reset,” concurred Casey Lang, marketing communications manager at Colorcon. “Brands are asking to transition to natural alternatives without losing visual appeal, stability, or manufacturability.”

The Natural Food Colors Association (NATCOL) conducted a consumer survey about natural colors in 2025. Compared to the prior year, “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.”

People broadly prefer natural colors, but generally don’t know what they’re looking for on ingredient lists, NATCOL reported. They also prioritize choices related to flavor and preservatives first.

The absence of artificial colors is more important than whether or not natural colors are present, the association reported. Nearly 50% of American consumers have heard about state or federal decisions to phase out artificial colors; nearly half of those respondents said they’re purchasing fewer artificially colored products in response.

After being given information about what natural colors are, respondents were 15% more likely to accept them, indicating that further consumer education is warranted. The same wasn’t true for artificial colors, NATCOL stated.

When it comes to color considerations, consumers have different expectations depending on the format, Ip said. “Beverages and gummies place a higher value on vibrant, eye-catching colors, while capsules, tablets, and protein powders are often more accepted with softer, naturally-inspired shades.”

Consumers are more accepting of softer natural tones if a product is transparent about its clean label intent, said Lang. “Claims around natural ingredients and simpler formulations continue to resonate … In tablets and capsules, the focus is on simplicity, consistency, and overall acceptability … Color can also support perception, helping align the visual with the intended flavor or benefit.”

Gummies and chewable formats “sit at the intersection of health and enjoyment, so visual appeal and overall experience are critical,” warranting brighter, more engaging formats. For colors, in particular, scrutiny is occurring at the ingredient level; certain additives like titanium dioxide and talc are often avoided.

Flavors Move in Mature Directions

One-dimensional and generic candy-like flavors, along with synthetic-looking colors are ceding ground to more natural “fruit-forward, botanical inspired profiles, with growing interest in naturally sourced pigments derived from fruits, vegetables, and botanical extracts,” said Ip.

Highly sweet, candy-like, or syrupy flavor systems, or bright/neon colors, are commonly perceived as artificial, according to Bridget Gilbert, consumer and market insights director at McCormick Flavor Solutions. Even traditionally successful dessert profiles may be perceived this way, she said. Similarly, medicinal, metallic, or heavily masked flavors and generic flavor systems with no connection to a product’s actual ingredients can negatively impact perceptions. 

Gilbert agreed that the nutraceuticals category is moving toward “profiles that feel lighter, fresher, and more aligned to wellness … We’re seeing a broader shift toward cleaner, less-sweet flavor systems, including sparkling soda-inspired profiles, coffee and tea notes, and even more savory or slightly bitter directions in protein and active nutrition.” Even with gummies, formulators are dialing back sweetness and introducing more complexity to make gummies feel more “adult,” she said.

Thomas Kountz, senior chemist for clean flavor at McCormick Flavor Solutions, said that flavors are being considered in a more format-specific and purposeful way. Familiar and indulgent flavors in protein systems can make them feel “less medicinal,” and gummies stand out with “premium and layered flavor directions.”

“Flavor should not just taste good; it should also feel more natural, more intentional, and more aligned with wellness positioning of the product,” he added. 

Justin Kozlowski, vice president and commercial general manager of flavors at Bell Flavors & Fragrances (BFF), noted that simplistic is giving way to the complex; where chocolate and vanilla once dominated, “birthday cake or churro are gaining traction among consumers who want dessert-inspired options.”

The biggest areas of interest BFF has seen in the better-for-you segment include “dessert-inspired, nostalgic, exotic/international fruits, sweet and spicy combinations, and garden-inspired herbs and botanicals,” with a ramp-up in seasonal and limited-time varieties, Kozlowski noted.

Ube and matcha serve as two examples. “Ube’s deep violet color and nutty vanilla sweetness” plays into “newstalgic” tastes and striking visuals, while matcha has built-in functionality of caffeine and L-theanine, which, “paired with its vibrant green color and umami flavor profile, make it a great option across beverage, desserts, snacks, and bakery applications.”

In a broader report on 2026 industry trends, the Vitamin Shoppe noted that exciting flavors have been a top driver of sales growth. “New or limited-edition flavors help drive trial and excitement … Seasonal launches create a sense of urgency, and collaborations with iconic brands tap into nostalgia.” Brands known for their unique flavors are posting impressive growth at the Vitamin Shoppe, such as Ghost Energy (+86%), BUM Energy (68%), Built Brands (+51%), Alani Nu (+45%), and Barebells (37%).

Conveying Health Benefits

Gilbert noted that flavor, color, and overall sensory profiles “need to reinforce a product’s intended benefit.” Real, natural, purpose-driven flavors can communicate health benefits: botanicals and spices suggest calm or premium positioning; citrus cues hydration and functionality; savory or umami imbues satiety. Color cues like greens and purples are now used to suggest naturalness, and other colors like pink are perceived as indulgent, she said.

“We are also seeing a shift in more source-aligned hues, especially those products positioned around wellness where tones reinforce ingredient authenticity,” said Dana Osborn, marketing manager at California Natural Color. “We’re seeing traction with purples, greens, and pink tones. These profiles combine distinctive color with wellness cues to support more immersive sensory positioning.”

“Citrus, berry, tea, ginger, and botanical flavor profiles are often linked to energy, immunity, cognitive support, and overall well-being, while naturally derived reds, yellows, blues, and purples help reinforce those perceptions,” said Ip.

There’s more focus on which profiles convey mental health, gut health, and healthy aging messages, said Renee Leber, food science and technical services manager at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). “Functional foods and fermented foods are playing a role in addressing these areas. In terms of flavor profiles, we are seeing increased use of florals, bright citrus notes, brothy profiles, and herbs traditionally associated with medicinal uses.”

Technical Advances

There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to replacing synthetic flavors and colors with natural versions, but development is moving at a faster pace than ever.

California Natural Color uses a unique crystal format to overcome common challenges related to stability, formulation flexibility, and concentration. Shades sourced from fruits and vegetables are: FSSC 22000-certified and non-GMO; 5-10 times more concentrated than liquid food colors; stable across many applications; shelf-stable; and carrier-free. Concentration and delivery format improvements can help formulators accomplish more with less, said Osborn.

“Advanced encapsulation technologies are key to improving the stability of natural flavors, protecting sensitive oils from oxidation and extending shelf life, sometimes up to four years,” said Truby and Harman. “There’s no universal solution. Progress includes improved extraction and purification methods, encapsulation to protect pigments, advanced emulsion and dispersion systems, and multi-component color systems that enhance stability. Enhanced technologies for anthocyanins, spirulina, and carotenoids are also expanding use of natural colors in challenging applications.”

Lang noted that color experts are moving toward application-specific color systems built from the ground up, improving processing approaches. “We see this most clearly in gummies, softgels, and other moisture-sensitive nutraceutical formats.” Packaging solutions can also help manage moisture and protect against environmental exposures, aiding natural colors’ performance. “Our product capabilities reflect a full system view, bringing together color, coating, and packaging.”

Precision fermentation will also enable breakthroughs in the field of colors. In June, GRA Nutra launched AuraBC, an algae-derived beta-carotene for yellow-to-orange tones, produced with minimal ecological footprint; its first production facility is expected to begin operating in 2027.

As companies continue to blur the line between food and supplements, ingredients with high inclusion rates present modern flavor challenges that require finesse. Clean-label colors themselves can create off-notes within a flavor system, noted Kozlowski.

While masking and modulation remain popular, functional ingredients that rely on maintaining a whole-food matrix upstream in the manufacturing process can mitigate the bitterness that arises on the back end, noted Scott Forsberg, COO of WellVine, which manufactures a whole-food prebiotic sourced from upcycled Chardonnay marc.

Bad taste due to bitterness or off flavors is a challenge that “should be solved by now,” said Forsberg, but the most potent polyphenols, flavanols, botanicals, and high-dose greens work hard against the palate. Identifying and masking the offending compound “works until it doesn’t. At some inclusion level, the taste fix becomes its own problem: label or capsule weight, regulatory complexity, cost, and the kind of ingredient deck that makes a brand’s clean-label story fall apart in the fine print … Unlike masking, whole food matrices cause offending compounds to behave differently.”

“Bitter perception is governed by compound diversity and interaction within the whole-food structure, not by the presence of a single molecule,” Forsberg said, demonstrating the value of developing functional ingredients in whole-food matrix forms. “It produces cleaner, more cost-effective, and more commercially durable products.”

Kountz said that progress has been characterized by continuous improvements rather than one or two single breakthroughs. “Advances in extraction, gentle concentration, encapsulation, emulsification, and application-specific delivery are helping improve stability and reduce trade-offs related to heat, oxygen, light, and product matrix.” Still, there are no one-to-one tradeoffs with artificial systems, he said.

While still emerging, companies have been experimenting with technologies that enable flavor change midway through consumption. Later this year, select BodyTech products, available exclusively in The Vitamin Shoppe, will feature Flavor Flip technology, allowing consumers to experience two distinct flavors in one serving. The launch will begin with a whey protein isolate that starts as cookies and cream and, after a vigorous shake, changes to milk chocolate, while a creatine monohydrate starts off as strawberry before transforming to tropical orange. Similarly, GNC had a limited-time launch last year of a flavor-changing version of its Beyond Raw Lit Pre-Workout, which shifts from a lemonade flavor to a green apple flavor after being shaken.

Scalability Challenges

With large food and beverage brands transitioning to natural, plant-based colors, the supply is under real pressure. “These ingredients rely on agricultural cycles, harvest yields, extraction capacity, and regional sourcing conditions … Lead times are extending beyond what many teams are used to,” Lang said. “It means planning further upstream, committing earlier, and building flexibility into shade and formulation decisions.”

Natural greens, blues, and certain reds are especially difficult to procure right now. “Color matching remains critical, with more than 4,000 matches completed globally each year at Colorcon, including a high and growing percentage involving natural colors.”

“Supply chain resilience is now as critical as ingredient performance and product quality for manufacturers,” Truby and Harman concurred, especially when layering in the flux state of tariffs and other trade regulations. With a limit on which natural sources are approved as color additives, “manufacturers are working with a relatively limited palette.”

“Additional challenges include managing multiple color systems that degrade at different rates, potential incompatibility with certain applications, increased cost, and supply constraints as demand for naturally derived color additives outpaces availability,” Leber said.

Climate disruptions are another unfamiliar challenge to those who’ve been working with synthetic color systems.

“Natural ingredients are exposed to seasonality, origin concentration, and qualification requirements,” Kountz said. “Climate disruption is affecting both supply availability and batch consistency because natural ingredients are shaped by weather, harvest conditions, and origin,” making raw material control and standardization more important than ever.

“In many cases, success comes from managing the full system, not expecting natural inputs to behave like synthetics,” Lang concurred.

“Companies should work closely with their natural color and flavor suppliers, share annual consumption forecasts, and confirm natural color goals early in the development process so that vendors can support their projected business needs. Clear communication and proactive planning will be critical to managing supply constraints and ensuring the success of the product launch,” said Kozlowski.

Inflationary pressures are also challenging to navigate. Natural alternatives to synthetic flavors and colors are almost always more costly. However, “there has been real progress in cost efficiency through better extraction, concentration, and delivery technologies,” Osborn noted. “The gap is narrowing. Consumers are generally willing to pay a premium in health-forward categories such as functional beverages and premium supplement formats.”

“The value conversation is shifting,” said Lang. “It is less about the lowest cost and more about the best overall fit,” factoring in consumer appeal, cost-in-use, label claims, and shelf life performance. “Consumers are willing to pay a premium where clean label connects directly to wellness, trust, and overall product quality. Transparency plays a big role in those decisions.”

Regulatory Landscape

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) set out on a mission to work with industry on a voluntary basis to phase out synthetic food dyes. However, several state legislatures are moving to impose more restrictive measures, including disclosure requirements and outright bans on ingredients, creating the potential for a fragmented regulatory environment with strict and possibly contradictory requirements.

These state bills are on “different timelines and with different requirements than those being considered at the federal level,” said Duffy McKay, senior vice president of dietary supplements at the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).

“For companies that develop and distribute products nationally, consistency matters,” he said. “While companies are accustomed to adapting to changing regulatory requirements, the growing volume of state-level activity underscores the importance of maintaining a coordinated national approach that protects consumers while preserving access, innovation, and product choice.” 

For that reason, CHPA is supporting legislative efforts to maintain a single, national FDA standard that preempts any state laws. “A patchwork approach risks reducing consumer choice, increasing costs, and creating compliance challenges without necessarily improving public health outcomes,” McKay said.

As companies voluntarily phase synthetic colors out of their supply chains, regulators can best smooth out the transition by “establishing realistic timelines, clear technical guidance, and a transparent process for evaluation,” he added. “Industry, regulators, ingredient suppliers, and retailers should work together to identify where reformulation is most feasible, where technical barriers remain, and where supply chains need time to scale.”

In dietary supplements, colors play distinct roles in areas such as coating performance and stability. “Reformulating a gummy, tablet, capsule, softgel, powder, or liquid requires different technical solutions compared to removing a color from a beverage or cereal,” McKay noted. “In some cases, changing a color can require additional stability testing, packaging modifications, supplier qualification, label updates, and the production of new inventory.” Still, implementation timelines matter.

Each new piece of legislation also exposes businesses to state enforcement threats, private litigation, and consumer protection cases, creating uncertainty around labels, inventory already in commerce, and products sold across state lines, he added.

Innovation has been advancing at both the finished-product level and also with ingredients and processes, said Leber. While companies need to pay close attention to legislation at the state and national level, they’re finding ways to meet changing consumer demand.

“There’s no way to know for sure where regulations will go over the next 2-5 years,” Leber said. IFT is focused on keeping the conversation active through an ongoing series of educational meetings, she added.

Notably, FDA’s efforts have intentionally been consumer-facing. “FDA has introduced an additional incentive in exercising enforcement discretion to allow ‘no artificial colors’ claims on products that use naturally derived color additives,” Leber said. “This removes a prior labeling barrier and makes reformulation more commercially viable.”