We've all said it before: “That looks delicious—I have to try it!” When it comes to food, taste isn’t the only factor at play.
The visual appeal of food—specifically its color—has influenced human preferences for centuries. In the American food industry, this has been taken to an extreme, with both natural and artificial colors shaping consumer choices. From vibrant fruits and vegetables to neon-colored snacks, color plays a crucial role in what we find appetizing.
For over a century, U.S. food manufacturers have used synthetic dyes to enhance the appearance of their products. Sometimes, this is to make processed foods look fresher and more natural, mimicking the raw ingredients they contain. Other times, bright colors serve to make products stand out—think of electric-blue slushies or fiery red snack chips like Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
However, the use of artificial dyes has sparked debate. Government regulations have evolved over time, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently banning red dye No. 3 in foods and ingestible drugs due to potential cancer risks. Yet, the desire for colorful food remains strong.
The Power of Visual Appeal
According to Devina Wadhera, a faculty associate at Arizona State University’s College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, vision is our first sensory interaction with food. “Our first judgment is based on what we see,” she explains.
This understanding has driven food manufacturers since the late 19th century. Ai Hisano, author of Visualizing Taste: How Business Changed the Look of What You Eat, notes that synthetic dyes helped maintain food’s appeal by counteracting color loss during production. Over time, bright colors were also used to make products look fun and engaging, especially for children.
A mid-20th-century example is boxed cake mixes. While these pre-made mixes made baking easier, companies encouraged consumers to use colorful icing to personalize their cakes—turning a mass-produced product into a creative expression.
Learned Associations Between Color and Flavor
Our associations between food and color develop over time, says Wadhera. For instance, birthday cakes are linked with celebrations, and ice cream is associated with happy occasions. Food companies leverage these learned connections—like using deep red shades to signal spiciness in chips or snacks, reinforcing the perception of bold flavors.
Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, notes that color perception can also depend on context. A bright blue liquid in a plastic cup in a bathroom might suggest mouthwash, while the same hue in a rocks glass at a bar could indicate a gin cocktail. Cultural differences further shape how colors are perceived in food, though one constant remains: the more vivid a color, the more intense people assume the flavor will be.
The Subconscious Influence of Color
Color doesn’t just affect how food looks—it can also impact eating behavior. Wadhera points to research suggesting that plate colors influence portion sizes and food preferences. Many of these decisions happen subconsciously. “Color influences our judgments in ways we don’t even realize,” she says.
Ultimately, whether it’s a bright red bag of spicy chips or a pastel-frosted birthday cake, color continues to shape our food experiences in ways both deliberate and instinctive.