Why APAC Manufacturers Need to Prepare Now for the US Shift Away from Synthetic Colors

Why Removing Color Isn’t the Answer

If synthetic dyes are being phased out, and if the synthetic-to-natural conversion is so technically challenging, some may ask: Why don’t we just stop adding colors entirely?

Because colors directly influence how consumers perceive flavors. Before products are tasted, they are seen. The right shade signals sweetness, tartness, freshness, or indulgence. When colors align with flavors, the experience feels intuitive and satisfying. When they don’t, the products may taste less satisfying, even if the formulations remain unchanged.

+14.7% overall uplift in flavor perception across tested products due to color.

2 out of 3 consumers in Asia Pacific say they like to eat food with bright & intense colors.

^Sources:
^{1: Sensient ‘Quantifying Color Impact on Flavor Expectation Study’ (2019)}
^{2: FMCG Gurus ‘Custom Survey–Global and Regional–Flavor, Color & Texture’ (2022)}

The Ripple Effect on the Global Natural Color Supply Chain

As color continues to be essential and more brands across all states standardize by replacing synthetic colors with natural alternatives, the natural color market experiences a dual impact. The demand is expanding rapidly, while the supply is growing more slowly.

Why Would Demand Increase Sharply:

Regulatory-Driven Reformulation

US federal and state actions are prompting brands to convert entire portfolios to natural colors. When thousands of SKUs convert at once, the overall demand volume multiplies quickly.

Higher Usage Rates

Natural colors typically require significantly higher usage levels (around 10 times more) than synthetic dyes to achieve the same desired shade and shelf-life performance.

Why Supply Cannot Scale Overnight:

Agricultural Timelines

Natural colors are derived from crops, and they follow growing cycles. Even the most prepared color manufacturer may need up to three years to produce large quantities of botanically sourced colors from seed selection to harvest.

Pigment Yields from Crops

Large quantities of crops are required to produce small amounts of finished color. Many botanical sources contain less than 2% pigment in the raw material as compared to synthetic dyes which has more than 90% pigment.

Land Constraints

Expanding cultivation requires arable land, which is increasingly limited due to urbanization, environmental pressures, and priority farming. In 2023, over half of all global arable land was dedicated to just three staple crops: wheat, maize, and rice.

^{Source: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/global-agricultural-land-use-by-major-crop-type?tab=discrete-bar&time=latest}

Climate Sensitivity

Climate variability, droughts, floods, and extreme weather events add further uncertainty to crop yields.

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Why APAC Manufacturers Need to Prepare Now for the US Shift Away from Synthetic Colors

For example, Walmart, a leading American multinational retailer, announced in October 2025 that it will eliminate synthetic dyes and more than 30 other ingredients from its private brand food products across the US.

APAC Manufacturers Most Likely to Be Impacted:

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Why APAC Manufacturers Need to Prepare Now for the US Shift Away from Synthetic Colors

For example, Walmart, a leading American multinational retailer, announced in October 2025 that it will eliminate synthetic dyes and more than 30 other ingredients from its private brand food products across the US.

APAC Manufacturers Most Likely to Be Impacted:

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