Food Rainbow Series – Part 2: Colors and Food Desirability

Friday, April 21, 2023

by Isis Harrison, UGA Dining Nutritional Clerical, 4th Year Nutritional Science and Psychology Double Major

A photograph of a plate of salad with rows of tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, mushrooms, peas, and greens.

There are two aspects of color that affect appetite: luminance and chroma. Luminance is perceived brightness and chroma is the color’s intensity. Combined, they influence both hedonic and sensory expectations but also have as much influence when analyzed separately.1

Initial judgement of food is based on all of our senses.

Noticing and enjoying the color of the food is a prominent factor in determining its acceptance.2 This is due to a combination of biases and expectations, as well as environmental and external cues, like words that describe the food.1,2,3

Without realizing, we have already associated foods with certain colors based on previous experiences. Red is often associated with sweet flavors, given its presence in sweet fruits such as strawberries and cherries. Blue and purple can also indicate sweetness, as in blueberries and grapes.

Even neutral colors, like brown, have their own associations. A dark brown roast beef or a light brown sugar cookie is appetizing. However, if the colors switched, and you were given a beige roast beef or a dark, coffee colored sugar cookie you would be less inclined to eat it.

Color Intensity

A study analyzed the relationship between color intensity and flavor ratings by adding food coloring to increase the color intensities of chicken bouillon and chocolate pudding. Among young adults, they found that foods with more color were rated more favorably than foods with no color added.4

However, too much color can also be a problem, as foods with standard color intensities were rated more favorably than foods with increased color intensity.4 For example, we may find a banana appealing, but our desire to eat it tends to decrease as it gets darker with age.

This shows the effects of chroma and how it can influence our own perceptions. Roast beef and sugar cookies have their own respective color intensities, and while the flavor may not change much with the color, our expectations can greatly influence the chances of us enjoying a food.

Unexpected Colors

Researchers wanted to test whether food coloring outside of what is naturally found in certain foods would affect whether participants found it appetizing. They gave participants chocolate chip cookies in their natural color, as well as some that were dyed red, blue, and black-and-white.

When comparing the original brown chocolate chip cookie to the other color variants, the dyed cookies were ranked as less appetizing by participants.3 This is due to the color variants going against our expectations, or what is called ‘color expectancy violation.’3 If a food does not appear as what we would consider normal, we do not see it as palatable.

While you are less likely to encounter foods with colors outside of their norm, there are other ways that colors can influence appetite. Background colors and place settings can also influence eating.

The Color Blue

Researchers have speculated whether blue works as an appetite suppressant due to its limited presence in nature and perceived association with spoiled food. When a brown chocolate chip cookie was placed on red, white, blue, and grey backgrounds, the cookies with a blue background were chosen less often.

The cookies on the blue background were seen as less appealing than the cookies on a red background, which were chosen more often.3 The study found that the propensity to eat can be influenced by environmental colors and changes in food coloring.

 

Our desire to eat can be influenced not only by hunger cues, but also changes in external factors. Join us next week to learn what colors can tell you about your food.

 

References

  1. Spence, C. On the psychological impact of food colour. Flavour4, 21 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13411-015-0031-3
  2. Clydesdale FM. Color perception and food quality. J Food Qual. 1991;14:61–74.
  3. Schlintl, C., & Schienle, A. (2020). Effects of Coloring Food Images on the Propensity to Eat: A Placebo Approach With Color Suggestions. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 589826. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.589826
  4. Chan, M. M., & Kane-Martinelli, C. (1997). The effect of color on perceived flavor intensity and acceptance of foods by young adults and elderly adults.American Dietetic Association.Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97(6), 657-9. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/effect-color-on-perceived-flavor-intensity/docview/218441253/se-2
  5. Cardello, A.V. (1996). The role of the human senses in food acceptance. In: Meiselman, H.L., MacFie, H.J.H. (eds) Food Choice, Acceptance and Consumption. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1221-5_1