Blue rarely occurs in natural foods, yet it graces our plates in cocktails, glitter coffees, pastries, sodas, wine, and even Dragibus candies—in shades of navy, cyan, or turquoise. This artificial color is increasingly popular with brands, despite often seeming unappetizing at first glance. So why do they keep tinting our favorite sweets and drinks blue?
Food colorings are now commonplace, so fluorescent green jellies, unnaturally pink shrimp, and multicolored cakes no longer surprise us. But blue foods still draw skepticism from consumers. Studies show that products deviating from their natural look—like a red banana—become less appealing. As Céline Gallen, marketing professor and researcher at IAE (Institute of Business Administration), explains to Slate: "To be accepted, a food must have a meaning, namely a symbolic, functional benefit and/or hedonic” (in other words, it must offer utility or pleasure). Blue fares better in sweets, where it's often welcomed (yum!). Savory twists, like Instagram's mermaid toast—sandwiches topped with cheese and spirulina dough for a bluish tint—are visually striking but not universally appetizing. Gallen predicts we'll adapt to this novel color over time, though consumer buy-in isn't unanimous yet.
