As health and self-care increasingly take centre stage in consumers’ lives, people are forming deeper, often subconscious connections between what they see and how it makes them feel. Visual cues, such as colour, and sensory cues, such as flavour, are becoming powerful communicators of wellness, shaping perceptions of a product’s benefits even before the experience of taste or aroma.
ADM’s 2025 Consumer Associations with Wellness report¹ illustrates how these cues align with 10 key health benefit categories. For instance, orange hues and their corresponding citrus flavours are strongly linked to feelings of immunity, blue signals hydration, and pink resonates with women’s health.
Today, the line between food, beverages, and wellness is increasingly fluid. Consumers no longer see drinks or snacks as just fuel or indulgence. They expect products to actively support their health, whether through functional ingredients, nutrient fortification, or benefits that align with their lifestyle goals.
Colour and flavour become more than aesthetic or sensory choices; they signal a product’s wellness promise, guiding consumers’ emotional and functional expectations. By understanding and leveraging these cues, brands can speak directly to consumers’ subconscious, transforming sensory experiences into intuitive signals of well-being.
Sensory Shortcuts: How Colour and Flavour Shape Perceptions of Wellness 
In today’s fast-paced world, first impressions form in seconds. While health- conscious shoppers may take time to read labels, many others are guided by visual cues, making snap judgments about a product’s value, efficacy, and health relevance before diving into the details.
Rather than reading lengthy ingredient lists on a packaging, some consumers use “mental shortcuts” to interpret sensory cues. For example, certain colours have become strongly associated with specific wellness outcomes, with shades like blue and green often linked to vitality, immunity, energy, cognitive health, and weight management. In fact, 67% of global consumers state that product colours are influential on their F&B purchasing decisions².
Beyond these universal associations, cultural nuances add another layer of meaning. In many Asian cultures, red conveys prosperity and vital energy, and is deeply connected to festive celebrations, family gatherings, and cultural rituals. Tasting traditional red bean paste, for example, can evoke memories of childhood and shared values.
Similarly, gold and yellow are typically associated with royalty, abundance, and good fortune. These can be seen in everything from mooncakes wrapped in golden pastry to saffron-hued turmeric drinks. Flavour cues often reinforce these associations, such as chrysanthemum infusions that symbolise nourishment and rejuvenation. These culturally resonant cues communicate wellness at a glance, while sparking emotional and nostalgic connections, making functional products feel more meaningful and trustworthy.
As functional foods and beverages move further into the mainstream, flavour is emerging as a key differentiator in how consumers perceive wellness, with 70% of global consumers indicating that taste shapes their view on F&B product value³. Moreover, the same report from ADM reveals that product success depends not only on delivering health benefits, but on pairing them with flavour experiences that help consumers feel that what’s good for them also tastes good.
Citrus flavours, especially orange, amplify associations with vitality and immunity, delivering a refreshing taste while reinforcing trusted health cues. In fact, orange consistently ranks highest among the 10 key health benefit categories, underscoring the power of colour-flavour synergy in building trust and relevance in functional product development. In Asia, these flavour associations reflect deep-rooted cultural significance. Yuzu, long prized in Japan for its bright aroma and natural vitamin content, is now popular across the region as a refreshing cue for hydration, thanks to its perceived moisturising properties and immune-boosting benefits.
In an increasingly complex functional food and beverage market, where products are perceived to offer benefits ranging from immunity to mental clarity, these familiar colour and flavour signals act as sensory shortcuts, helping consumers quickly filter options, align choices with health priorities, and feel reassured that each selection is both health-forward and personally significant.
Wellness as a Multi-sensory Experience
Looking ahead, colour and flavour will play an even greater role in shaping wellness perceptions. As consumers grow more attuned to both physical and emotional health, these cues will set expectations long before a product is tried.
Brands that experiment thoughtfully with culturally inspired hues, hybrid flavours, or immersive sensory storytelling can redefine what wellness looks, tastes, and feels like.
This also means designing every touchpoint with intention: packaging that signals vitality, flavour profiles that reinforce functional benefits, and visual storytelling that resonates culturally and emotionally. By moving beyond convention and embracing creativity, brands can transform everyday consumption into moments of reassurance, discovery, and delight.
Ultimately, the products that succeed will be those that not only nourish the body but also engage the heart, mind, and culture of the consumer, turning wellness into a multi-sensory, meaningful experience. Colour and flavour are no longer secondary considerations; they are strategic tools for conveying well-being, trust, and emotional reassurance, giving brands the power to make wellness both tangible and memorable.
¹ ADM, Consumers Association with Wellness, 2025
² FMCG Gurus – Top Ten Trends for 2025 – Global Report – November 2024
³ FMCG Gurus – Top Ten Trends for 2025 – Global Report – November 2024
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