Our local grocery chain sells their own branded version of some common foods without any food coloring added. It’s the same or even cheaper price in some cases but I’ve noticed people willingly buy more of the added color stuff.
Discussion
Orange cheese gud
I think it depends on the specific product. My grocery store also sells their own branded line of products that are typically cheaper than their brand name counterparts. Most have the same or very similar ingredients. In general, I've found that the cheaper products (cheaper, as in quality, not price) tend to use artificial coloring while the higher-quality versions lean towards natural coloring. I'm not sensitive to the array of FDA-approved colorings, and have never had any ill effects from consuming them, but my little sister was allergic to the red color, so when we were children my mother was always careful not to buy anything containing that artificial red color. I think as long as people are aware of what they're buying, and have options to choose from, there's nothing inherently wrong with manufacturers using these artificial colors.
People like shiny stuff and the artificial colors are shiny
I’m repelled by shiny things 😆
They probably don't give it much importance and are influenced by advertising.
Big brands invest a lot to reach a broad audience of customers and make their products look attractive even if they are neither healthy nor cheap.
Conscious consumption requires time and effort.
We have oat milk called "Boring Oat Milk" that comes in 2 varieties -- normal, and "Barista Grade". Same price. Everybody buys the "Barista Grade". But why then do they even have a normal? I checked the ingredients and the only difference is that Barista Grade as some buffer added to stabilize the pH. So I buy the other one. [No I'm not vegan, I like the taste of oats sometimes].