Top most common food colorants in 2025

Food colorings — an indispensable tool in pastry making, cooking, and the food industry. In 2025 they are becoming even more popular due to growing demand for bright and aesthetically appealing products. In this article you will find an overview of the most common colorants, learn about their characteristics and usage features. We will examine both natural options and synthetic analogues to help you make an informed choice.

Today increasing attention is paid to the safety of food additives and the trend towards environmental friendliness. Therefore consumers are interested in which natural colorant to choose, how to correctly use colorants in creams, fondant or chocolate, and where to buy a food coloring with a quality guarantee.

This guide will be useful both for professional pastry chefs and for those who bake at home and want to give their desserts a unique appearance.

What are food colorings / classification?

Food colorings are special substances that change or enhance the color of products. They make desserts, drinks and prepared dishes more attractive to consumers. In modern cooking colorants perform not only a decorative function but also help emphasize the individual style of a brand or craftsperson.

Colorants can be divided according to several criteria:

Natural food colorants

Natural options are made from plant or mineral raw materials. For example, turmeric gives a rich yellow, beetroot — a burgundy, spirulina — a green shade.
Advantages:

• safety and environmental friendliness;
• presence of beneficial microelements;
• positive perception among consumers.

Limitations:

• less bright colors compared to synthetics;
• limited stability during baking or heating.

Synthetic and combined colorants

Synthetic ones are created in laboratories; they provide maximally bright and stable shades. They are often used in mass production. Combined ones combine the properties of both groups.

Pros:

• wide palette;
• affordable price;
• resistance to light and temperature.

Cons:

• require quality control and certification;
• are not always perceived as “healthy” by consumers.

By form: liquid, gel, powder

• Liquid colorant — convenient for drinks, creams, syrups.
• Gel colorant — concentrated, well suited for fondant and glazes.
• Powder colorant — versatile, long shelf life, often used in chocolate and dry mixes.

The choice depends on the specific recipe and the desired effect.

Top most popular colorants in 2025

In 2025 consumers pay increasing attention to the safety and naturalness of products. At the same time, synthetic solutions remain in demand on the market due to the brightness and stability of colors. Below is a selection of the most popular options actively used by pastry chefs and manufacturers.

Colorant 1: Curcumin

Extracted from the turmeric root. Gives a warm yellow or orange shade.

• Form: powder colorant.
• Use: creams, dough, sauces.
• Advantages: natural, easy to dose.
• Disadvantage: color fades with strong heat.

Colorant 2: Beetroot extract

Provides pink and deep red tones.

• Form: liquid colorant.
• Use: marmalade, fondant, creams.
• Pros: natural colorant, attractive for “eco” products.
• Disadvantage: less resistant to light.

Colorant 3: Spirulina

A popular source of green and blue shades.

• Form: powder colorant.
• Use: glaze, ice cream, smoothies.
• Advantages: natural, additional microelements.
• Disadvantage: sometimes has a slight taste.

Colorant 4: Titanium dioxide (E171 free alternatives)

Modern synthetic substitutes are used to create white color.

• Form: powder colorant.
• Use: glaze, fondant, chocolate.
• Pros: high stability, uniform shade.
• Disadvantage: synthetic origin, requires certification.

Colorant 5: Carmine

Classic red colorant obtained from natural sources.

• Form: powder and liquid colorant.
• Use: confectionery products, yogurts, creams.
• Pros: bright, heat-stable.
• Disadvantage: not always suitable for vegans.

Colorant 6: Modern gel mixes

Combined formulas with bright shades for cake decoration.

• Form: gel colorant.
• Use: fondant, icing, cream.
• Pros: concentrated, economical, wide palette.
• Disadvantage: harder to distribute evenly in liquid mixtures.

These food colorants became the most widespread in 2025 thanks to a balance of safety, effectiveness and availability.

How to choose a food coloring?

Choosing the right colorant affects not only the color but also the quality of the finished product. Today the market offers dozens of options — from natural colorants to synthetic solutions in various forms. To make the right choice and safely buy a food coloring, it is important to consider several criteria.

Safety and certification

Before purchasing, be sure to check the documents. Reliable suppliers provide quality and safety certificates. This guarantees the absence of harmful impurities. This is especially relevant for those choosing a natural colorant for children’s or dietary products.

Resistance to temperature, light

Not all colorants behave the same during thermal processing or storage. For example, beetroot extract quickly loses color in sunlight, while gel and synthetic mixes retain their shade even during baking. If you plan to decorate a cake, choose a gel or liquid colorant with high concentration.

Suitability for different bases

• Fat bases (chocolate, butter-based cream) — better suited to fat-soluble powder colorants.
• Aqueous systems (jelly, syrups, drinks) — choose a liquid colorant.
• Fondant and icing — work best with gel forms.

Practical tips when choosing

• Start with trusted manufacturers.
• For home use take small pack sizes.
• Pay attention to concentration: a quality colorant is economical in dosing.

Thus, orient yourself to the goals: natural food colorants are suitable for eco desserts, while gel or combined solutions are ideal for bright cake decoration.

Comparison of popular colorants

To make the choice easier, we have prepared a comparison table. It will help you understand which type of colorant is right for your purposes.

From the table it is clear that natural food colorants are ideal for “eco” desserts, but they are less resistant to external factors. Synthetic or combined solutions allow achieving brighter results and remain popular in professional pastry.

Using colorants in different products

Food colorants are used in a wide variety of areas of cooking and pastry art. They allow creating a unique appearance of dishes, emphasizing brand style and making desserts more attractive to buyers.

• Creams and glazes. It is convenient to use liquid colorants or gel forms for them, which dissolve easily and provide even coloring.
• Fondant and icing. Concentrated gel colorants work best — they do not thin the mass and give a bright shade.
• Chocolate and fat-based fillings. Here it is important to choose fat-soluble powder colorants that mix well with cocoa butter and maintain color stability.
• Cottage cheese desserts, yogurts, ice cream. The optimal option is natural food colorants (beetroot, turmeric, spirulina), as they not only add color but are perceived by consumers as a “healthy choice”.
• Drinks and syrups. Mostly liquid colorants are used, which distribute easily in water.
   

Thus, the choice of colorant depends on the product, technology and desired effect. For home use it is convenient to have several formats — liquid for creams, gel for decoration and powder for chocolate.

Advantages and disadvantages of colorants

Food colorants have their pros and cons that should be considered before use.

Advantages:

• Make dishes bright and attractive.
• Allow creating unique dessert designs.
• There is a wide selection — from natural colorants to synthetic gel mixes.
• Help emphasize the individuality of a brand or craftsperson.

Disadvantages:

• Natural colorants are less resistant to light and high temperatures.
• Synthetic ones require certificate checks and careful dosing.
• Some colorants have restrictions on use in certain products (for example, chocolate requires fat-soluble options).

So, when choosing a food coloring, it is important to consider both advantages and possible limitations to achieve the desired result.