
Mmm, that looks yummy! The colors we see make a difference in the food we eat.
For well over a century, food manufacturers in the United States have used synthetic dyes in their products as part of their production and marketing efforts. Often, it's been in hopes of making a mass-produced food look as fresh and natural as possible, reminiscent of the raw ingredients used in its production. In other cases, it's been about making an item look interesting or distinctive from competitors, like candies or desserts in an electric blue or neon pink. Think 'blue raspberry Slurpee' or 'Flamin' Hot Cheetos.'
Get Love Letters: The Newsletter
A weekly dispatch with all the best relationship content and commentary – plus exclusive content for fans of Love Letters, Dinner With Cupid, weddings, therapy talk, and more.
Enter Email
Sign Up
It hasn't been without controversy. Over the decades, there have been pushback and government regulation over just HOW food and drink have been colored, most recently with the decision last month from the federal Food and Drug Administration
Advertisement
That's because there's no escaping the importance of what we see when it comes to what we eat, says Devina Wadhera, faculty associate at the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts of Arizona State University.
'Your first sensory contact, if your eyes are open, is going to be sight,' she says. 'That's going to be the first judgment we're going to make.'
Visual appeal is pivotal
The food manufacturers of the late 19th century knew they had to get the visual appeal right. It was part of their marketing, as a shorthand to encourage brand recognition, to make consumers feel comfortable about quality and overcome worries (or realities) about spoilage as food production became industrialized, says Ai Hisano, author of 'Visualizing Taste: How Business Changed the Look of What You Eat.'
Advertisement
Synthetic dyes helped overcome problems like foods losing color in the production process and helped make foods look more 'natural,' she says. Then, over time, dyes were deployed to make foods look 'fun' and appealing to audiences like young children. (That doesn't mean manufacturers didn't sometimes use colorants that could even be deadly — hence the reason there's regulation.)
She pointed to the mid-20th century example of cake mixes, which reduced the amount of effort required to bake a cake at home because most of the ingredients were already included. Food companies began promoting colorful icing for the cakes as a way women baking at home 'could kind of present their personality even though they are making a pre-mixed cake,' Hisano says.
We become conditioned to coloring
The connections we make between colors and foods are learned, Wadhera says. 'Throughout our lives, we make associations which mean things. Cake is associated with birthdays. Ice cream is associated with parties and good times, so everything is associative learning. Color is one of those things that we have this tendency to learn about different flavor pairings.'
She gave the example of the spate of products like chips and other snacks that are marketed as having an extra kick. Often, 'they're super red because (companies are) trying to say, 'Hey, this is going to be spicy' because they're trying to get to this sensation or perception that this is going to be really spicy — buy it.'
The connections that we make between color and taste can also change according to the context, says Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford. A blue liquid in a plastic cup in a bathroom? Could be minty mouthwash. The exact same color liquid, in a bar, held in a rocks glass? Could be bitter gin. Different cultures around the world also have different color associations, he says, although it's fairly constant across geographies that the more vivid a color is, the more intense people assume the flavor will be.
Advertisement
It can even extend past the food itself to the colors involved in its presentation, Wadhera says, pointing to research showing people eating different amounts or preferring certain foods linked to the colors of the dishes used to serve them. And much of the time, she says, people aren't necessarily aware they're doing it.
'There's a lot of things with color that you can manipulate and affect judgments,' she says. 'You don't think of it, though. ... We make automatic judgments on the food and we don't even realize it.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Fungal concerns spark nationwide recall of Zicam, Orajel products
(WJW) – Swabs under two well-known brand names have been recalled over potential fungi-related microbial contamination. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Church & Dwight Co., Inc. is voluntarily recalling some Zicam and Orajel products because fungi could be present in the items' cotton swab components. The recalled products include all lots within expiry of Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs, Zicam Nasal AllClear Swabs, and Orajel Baby Teething Swabs to the consumer level. Consumers are advised to 'immediately' stop using the recalled products. Major grocery chain slashing prices for the summer 'Swabs found to contain microbial contamination can potentially present a significant risk to the health and safety of consumers including serious and life-threatening blood infections in users whose nasal mucosa may be compromised due to inflammation and mechanical injuries,' reads the recall alert. 'The risk is highest (potentially severe or life-threatening) among children and individuals with compromised immune systems or other underlying medical conditions.' The FDA said, so far, no serious adverse events associated with the affected product have been reported. The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the United States and in Puerto Rico, said the FDA. Here are the specific details to check for: Zicam® Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs, with UPC 732216301205, all lots: A zinc-free, homeopathic cold remedy swab designed to shorten the duration of the common cold. Zicam® Nasal AllClear Swabs, with UPC 732216301656, all lots: A nasal cleansing swab product (discontinued in December 2024). Pre-moistened swabs designed to soothe teething discomfort in infants and toddlers. You can view images of the recalled products in the slideshow below: 'This recall is limited exclusively to Zicam and Orajel swab products. All other Zicam and Orajel products, including Zicam RapidMelts, are not affected by this recall,' states the FDA on its website. Consumers can Click here or call (800) 981-4710 for refund details.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Over 1.7 million eggs sold in 9 states voluntarily recalled due to salmonella concern
More than 1.7 million eggs are being recalled due to potential contamination with salmonella, a type of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness and, in rare cases, even death. August Egg Company is voluntarily recalling brown cage-free and brown organic eggs that were distributed between Feb. 3 and May 15, 2025, in nine states. The Hilmar, California-based company announced the recall Friday, according to an announcement shared on the Food and Drug Administration website. A salmonella outbreak linked to the recalled eggs has already sickened 79 people, with 21 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been no reports of deaths so far, the agency stated in a June 6 update. In a statement included in the August Egg Company's recall announcement, the company said, "This recall has been initiated due to possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination, which poses a health risk. With that in mind, we believe it is appropriate out of an abundance of caution to conduct this voluntary recall, as consumers may still have these eggs in their homes." "It is important to know that when our processing plant identified this concern, we immediately began diverting all eggs from the plant to an egg-breaking facility, which pasteurizes the eggs and kills any pathogens," the company continued. "August Egg Company's internal food safety team also is conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring. We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure this does not happen again." FDA elevates tomato recall to highest risk level over potential salmonella contamination The company said it has since voluntarily halted egg distribution, stating in the recall announcement that it "is not selling fresh shell eggs at this time." The recalled eggs have a sell-by date between March 4 and June 4, 2025, and were sold at Food 4 Less, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Raleys, Ralphs, Safeway, Save Mart, and Smart & Final stores in California and Nevada. Additional recalled eggs with a sell-by date between March 4 and June 19, 2025, were sold at Walmart store locations in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. Recalled eggs bear the plant code number P-6562 or CA-5330 with Julian dates between 32 to 126 printed on one side their fiber or plastic cartons or packages. A full list of recalled eggs and photos of their packaging is available on the FDA website. The CDC advises anyone with recalled eggs not to eat them and to discard them or return them to the place of purchase. If recalled eggs came into contact with any surfaces or items, wash the areas with hot, soapy water or a dishwasher. Most people can recover from a salmonella infection after 4 to 7 days without treatment, but an infection can still be serious in certain populations, such as children under 5, pregnant women, older adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems. Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers sold to restaurants sickens 26 people, health officials warn Symptoms of a salmonella infection may include fever, gastrointestinal issues like abdominal pain, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting, and can appear between six hours and six days after exposure to the bacteria. In rare cases, salmonella travel into the bloodstream and cause more severe illness, such as an infected aneurysm, reactive arthritis or endocarditis, where the inner lining of the heart and valves becomes inflamed. Anyone with symptoms of salmonella should also reach out to a doctor or health care provider if they have diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, have had diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving, bloody diarrhea, excessive vomiting or signs of dehydration. Over 1.7 million eggs sold in 9 states voluntarily recalled due to salmonella concern originally appeared on

3 hours ago
Over 1.7 million eggs sold in 9 states voluntarily recalled due to salmonella concern
More than 1.7 million eggs are being recalled due to potential contamination with salmonella, a type of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness and, in rare cases, even death. August Egg Company is voluntarily recalling brown cage-free and brown organic eggs that were distributed between Feb. 3 and May 15, 2025, in nine states. The Hilmar, California-based company announced the recall Friday, according to an announcement shared on the Food and Drug Administration website. A salmonella outbreak linked to the recalled eggs has already sickened 79 people, with 21 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been no reports of deaths so far, the agency stated in a June 6 update. In a statement included in the August Egg Company's recall announcement, the company said, "This recall has been initiated due to possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination, which poses a health risk. With that in mind, we believe it is appropriate out of an abundance of caution to conduct this voluntary recall, as consumers may still have these eggs in their homes." "It is important to know that when our processing plant identified this concern, we immediately began diverting all eggs from the plant to an egg-breaking facility, which pasteurizes the eggs and kills any pathogens," the company continued. "August Egg Company's internal food safety team also is conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring. We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure this does not happen again." The company said it has since voluntarily halted egg distribution, stating in the recall announcement that it "is not selling fresh shell eggs at this time." The recalled eggs have a sell-by date between March 4 and June 4, 2025, and were sold at Food 4 Less, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Raleys, Ralphs, Safeway, Save Mart, and Smart & Final stores in California and Nevada. Additional recalled eggs with a sell-by date between March 4 and June 19, 2025, were sold at Walmart store locations in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. Recalled eggs bear the plant code number P-6562 or CA-5330 with Julian dates between 32 to 126 printed on one side their fiber or plastic cartons or packages. A full list of recalled eggs and photos of their packaging is available on the FDA website. The CDC advises anyone with recalled eggs not to eat them and to discard them or return them to the place of purchase. If recalled eggs came into contact with any surfaces or items, wash the areas with hot, soapy water or a dishwasher. Most people can recover from a salmonella infection after 4 to 7 days without treatment, but an infection can still be serious in certain populations, such as children under 5, pregnant women, older adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of a salmonella infection may include fever, gastrointestinal issues like abdominal pain, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting, and can appear between six hours and six days after exposure to the bacteria. In rare cases, salmonella travel into the bloodstream and cause more severe illness, such as an infected aneurysm, reactive arthritis or endocarditis, where the inner lining of the heart and valves becomes inflamed. Anyone with symptoms of salmonella should also reach out to a doctor or health care provider if they have diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, have had diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving, bloody diarrhea, excessive vomiting or signs of dehydration.