Lessons from natural food dye: Building reputational advantage during legislative shifts

Kate Finley is the founder of Belle Communication.

When a new regulation hits, it can be a powerful catalyst for thought leadership. Legislative change creates an opening for brands to step forward, shape the narrative and demonstrate their capabilities.

Companies that move first gain a reputational advantage. By stepping into the dialogue, they can position themselves as knowledgeable leaders ahead of market shifts and as indispensable partners in navigating change.

When to engage

While not every regulatory ripple warrants comment, certain moments create an opening to step forward and shape the narrative. Brands should engage when:

• Your customers and stakeholders are actively seeking clarity because the change directly affects them.
• Your company has relevant expertise, data or solutions that can help the industry navigate what’s ahead.

Even if the full implications are still unfolding, offering perspective rooted in experience demonstrates leadership. Engaging doesn’t require taking a fixed or rigid stance, appearing partisan or predicting outcomes. It’s more about providing insights and ongoing guidance.

When the FDA moved to ban food dye Red No. 3 and encouraged companies to phase out all synthetic dyes by 2026, the food sector faced immediate pressure. Could the industry deliver enough natural alternatives at scale? How could product reformulation happen quickly? What did consumers think?

Natural food dye suppliers quickly positioned themselves as problem-solvers. They quickly shared updates with the media, published resources and reassured the industry about readiness.

Here’s how they rose to the occasion to build thought leadership during the ongoing phase-out of artificial coloring — and how your brand can do the same.

Join media conversations

Be proactive in becoming the reporter’s go-to source when regulation shifts hit the headlines. Track media coverage closely and enter the dialogue early. Balance acknowledging real challenges while showing how your company is driving solutions. Reporters value pragmatic expertise over polished spin.

• Oterra experts appeared in national news and trade outlets, sharing advice for manufacturers on forecasting and supply planning to prevent foreseeable bottlenecks and successfully meet reformulation deadlines.
• Sensient Technologies reframed the shift to naturals as a growth driver, not just a compliance hurdle — quotes from its CEO appeared across Chemical & Engineering News, Confectionery Production and Food Processing.
• Givaudan tackled reformulation concerns head-on, engaging with Food Ingredients First and partnering with trade media for sponsored articles and webinars that drilled into specific challenges like snack reformulation.

Promote new solutions

Regulatory shifts create the perfect moment to spotlight innovation. While buyers are hyper-aware of potential disruption, they’re also actively seeking answers. This is the perfect time to share business updates and amplify planned launches.

• Oterra announced plans to strengthen its US presence to meet demand for natural colors, instilling confidence that it could help customers handle reformulation volumes.
• Givaudan strategically announced its expanded portfolio of natural colors, like alternatives to Red 40 and Blue 1, amidst the regulatory shift.
• EXBERRY extended its plant-based portfolio with the launch of a new pink color that delivers on the needs for vibrancy.

Use owned content to guide customers, answer questions

Owned content plays a central role in establishing thought leadership and guiding customers through uncertainty. Publish guides, FAQs, whitepapers, webinars and explainer content to answer customer questions and break down complex legislation, its implications and how to adapt. Focus on where your brand can provide unique value.

• Oterra shared how-to advice about starting to prepare for the shift and addressed myths and concerns directly in blogs that interviewed company experts.
• Sensient published a Red 3 blog series breaking down application-specific swaps for its audience segments of confections, bakery, dairy and pet foods. They also use owned content to call out unglamorous but vital steps like refrigeration needs and storage changes when you move from synthetics to botanicals.
• EXBERRY regularly publishes content and hosts webinars that showcase how its plant-based dyes can solve common manufacturer concerns and be a clean-label alternative for specific colors like Yellow 5 and 6.

Produce new, useful data

Producing original data during times of regulation change adds another layer of credibility and guides future decision-making.

Surveys of customers, peers or consumers can reveal sentiment, while quantitative insights on costs, demand or operational hurdles help the industry make informed decisions. Sharing this data across media outlets, webinars and owned channels cements a brand’s role as a source of clarity.

For example, Oterra released survey data that highlighted U.S. attitudes and knowledge about the situation. Their data also uncovered which food and beverage categories consumers were most concerned about, with soft drinks and sodas at the top of the list.

Build thought leadership during regulatory shifts

Every industry will face moments when new rules rewrite the ways of business. The brands that come out on top are those that see legislation not as a barrier, but as a stage.

By joining the conversation early, producing useful insights and educating customers, companies can position themselves as the go-to solution providers.