Color Matters Blog

Bug juice “red” made the news when it was exposed as Starbuck’s food coloring used in strawberry frapuccinos. After a public outcry – even from non-vegetarians – Starbucks announced it has stopped using it.

This isn’t just a vegetarian outrage or the questionable appeal of bug juice in your food - which by the way doesn’t bother me because it’s a natural alternative to the controversial red food dye #5 derived from coal tar. The real crime is disclosure and deception.

First of all, disclosure: There are moral issues for vegetarian and kosher diets and there are health issues. Natural food colorings such as cochineal (aka “bug juice”) and artificial additives such as red dyes #2 and #40 can cause allergic reactions.

Second, the greatest offense is deception: Starbucks advertised its Strawberry Frappuccinos and Smoothies as vegan-friendly.

In the meantime, “cochineal” (the name of the colorant extracted from beetles) and its close relative “carmine” will continue to be used as dye in pies, jello, juices (cranberry and pink grapefruit), dried shrimp, pork sausage, candies, pills, jams, and the brightly colored maraschino cherries.

It’s not the color of Valentine’s Day... any color will do, as long as it’s a heart. As the celebration of love approaches, consider the origins of the symbol of love.  

The most basic geometric shapes are circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles. These combine to create hexagons, polygons, diamonds, and other classic forms. As cultures and religions evolved, new shapes emerged: crescent moons, yin yang, crosses, teardrops, and hearts – for example. Some are easy analyze; others, like the heart, not so easy.

The origin of the heart symbol becomes more complex because the heart is found in many different cultures: Hindu, Buddhist, Celtic, Christian, Hebrew, Muslim, Aztec, and Taoist.

When we turn to geometry, we find no logic. The heart is not a derivative shape, as would be the case with the cross.

Can colors curb your appetite and help you lose weight? Maybe. Could the color of a plate be a key to weight loss? A recent study says, “Yes.”

New research* suggests that plate colors that contrast with food help people eat less. The study revealed that people put less food on a plate with high contrast. If this is confusing, these graphics will help define contrasts:

Red (food) on a white background (plate) is a high contrast. Red (food) on a brown background (plate) is low contrast. You’ll put less red-sauce pasta on a white plate because it looks like there is more food on the plate.

Furthermore, the colors of the tablecloth may also affect appetite. When the dinner plate contrasted with the tablecloth, the study found that people saw the plate as smaller and ate less. (In the example above, the black and white checkered tablecloth creates a high contrast with the white plate; the brown tablecloth creates a low contrast with the red plate.)

“Brain scans suggest that everything from sugar to sex lights up the brain’s pleasure circuitry. ” * For some, it may be chocolate or pasta; for others it may be exercise or gambling. This can result in addiction with the same results: The body steadily ratchets up the quantity necessary to provide the same high.

What about color? Can color press the pleasure button in your brain? Can you develop a case of color addiction? Now that the brilliant colors of autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere) are almost gone, could you be entering a state of color withdrawal? If so, it’s possible that the shift from the reds, oranges, and yellows of fall to the greys and browns of early winter have you feeling gloomy. It’s worth noting that some people do begin to experience episodes of depression known as SAD  (Seasonal Affective Disorder) at this time of the year because there’s less exposure to daylight. Perhaps color also plays a similar role.

What do you think? Do colors press the pleasure button in your brain? Are you experiencing color withdrawal now the amazing colors of autumn are gone? In any case, Christmas is coming and our homes will be filled twinkling lights and much more.

* Source

We can be green with envy, turn purple with rage, see red, and feel blue.  But what about fright? What’s the color of fear? And for that matter, what about the colors of Halloween?