Taste hints for packaging colors

[China Packaging Network News] I believe we all recognize the importance of color in children's food packaging design. This article will take a closer look at how colors are used to convey taste and emotional cues in food packaging. Different colors have unique expressions and styles, and they can also influence people's perception of taste in various ways.

Colors play a significant role in shaping our expectations about what a product tastes like. For example, red is often associated with sweetness and is commonly used in packaging for desserts or sugary treats. Yellow, on the other hand, tends to evoke the aroma of baked goods, such as pastries or cookies. Orange-yellow, which sits between red and yellow, gives a sense of flavor similar to that of an orange — sweet with a slight tang.

Green is typically linked to fresh, crisp, and sour flavors. While blue is rarely found in natural foods, it’s often used in packaging to create a clean, elegant, and sophisticated look. A great example is the famous Danish blue cheese cookie, where blue is used to enhance visual appeal rather than represent a specific taste.

When it comes to expressing stronger or milder taste characteristics — such as softness, stickiness, hardness, or smoothness — the intensity and brightness of the color become key factors. Dark reds and reds are often used for highly sweet products, while pink or light reds might be used for moderately sweet items. Lighter tones like orange may be chosen for less sweet options. In some cases, the actual color of the food itself is directly reflected in the packaging, such as dark brown for coffee or chocolate.

It’s important to note that the association between color and taste isn’t fixed. Different individuals may interpret the same color differently. According to Japanese colorist Naito Tetsujiro, yellow, white, and pink are seen as sweet, green as sour, brown, gray, and black as bitter, and white and blue as salty. Another colorist, Esbirk, found that orange-red represents sweetness, green and blue-green represent sourness, black represents bitterness, and blue represents saltiness. Meanwhile, Gringer’s research showed that pink represents sweetness, green represents sourness, blue-purple represents bitterness, and blue represents saltiness. These findings are general guidelines, and in real design, it's essential to consider the context and target audience to ensure the message is clear and effective.

As you can see, color is a powerful tool for communicating taste information in food packaging. However, not all taste sensations can be easily conveyed through color alone, such as bitterness, saltiness, or the unique sensation of hemp. In these cases, designers can use additional techniques like text descriptions, imagery, or atmospheric elements to better communicate the flavor profile of the product.