The year 2020 had many people seeing red. However, 2021 will likely bring more of the spectacular color into a better view.

GNT, the maker of Exberry food color, believes that red will be one of the more popular food and beverage colors of 2021. Why? Because the color red brings a lot of emotions to the surface when viewed, especially powerful ones.

For example, red often invokes feelings of passion, anger, and love. However, GNT points out that it often inspires excitement in consumers, encouraging them to try new drinks and food made with the color. It is also a popular color among the very visual “Instagram generation.”

Maartje Hendrickx is the market development manager for GNT. She states that red was their natural choice when developing their Love Color with Exberry campaign. This is because red creates energy, positive action, and passion, three things that help consumers become excited about their food and drink products. Red also has the ability to quickly command instant attention. She states that this color will not be ignored in 2021.

After a rough 2020, a powerful color like red will motivate men and women to look towards the future positively. An emphasis on red in food and drink will also be a great thing for confectioners. Readers Digest cited research by an Oxford psychologist, Charles Spence, saying that red gives consumers the perception that their food or drink tastes sweeter than it actually is.

We’ve seen this change already when it comes to candy brands. Starburst introduced their FaveReds mix in 2016, a blend of just pink and red candies that tastes like fruit punch, watermelon, and cherry. The brank Mike and Ike released their own red version of candy, called the Red Rageous mix. These flavors included raspberry, cherry, strawberry, fruit punch, and watermelon.

Even Life Savers jumped on board by offering a singular Wild Cherry hard candy. A jelly bean mix that consisted of all cherry flavors was also developed by Gimbals. This mix offered consumers nine different flavors, all of them being red in color.

While 2021 is still an uncertain time, the color red is bound to make the year seem a little sweeter than it will likely be.