Article | Oct 23. 2025 - 12:11PM
The mysterious appeal of purple
With Halloween just around the corner, it seems a good time to talk about one of its most associated colors.
Our expert
Phil Cook
Global Industry Marketing
Not the obvious orange or black, I’m talking about purple!
Once associated with royalty and nobility, purple is now strongly associated with mystery and fantasy. In fact, in our 2024 global color insights survey, five of the top ten associations with purple were related to mystery, fantasy and creativity.
Perfect for Halloween!
Although mysterious, purple is appealing, with 79% of global consumers surveyed answering that they find the shade appealing. Purple appeals to both male and female consumers equally but has a particularly strong appeal to those aged 23-34. Purple is the most appealing of all colors for this demographic.
So how do we create purple Halloween products for these consumers? Let’s focus on candy for now, trick or treat candy!
Our recent study on confectionery limited time offers revealed that this same age group is the biggest purchaser of LTO confectionery. The same investigation tells us that use of natural colours in these limited time products is essential.
So, a naturally colored, purple Halloween candy seems like a winner.
There are many solutions for a natural purple shade in confectionery, and a quick chat with our technical team will quickly find the right solution for you!
Our latest release, FruitMax® Purple 105* is the newest member of our purple arsenal. FruitMax® Purple 105 is a combination of black carrot and hibiscus concentrates, bringing the best of both raw materials.
Black Carrot
Black carrot is a classic confectionery color with a distinctive shade and a renowned ease of use. It’s light, pH and thermal stability make it a perfect colorant for a range of confectionery products.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is popular with consumers. It is associated with health, freshness and exotic botanicals. Its is a recognised clean label, plant based alternative to artificial dyes.
A deep reddish purple
With an on-pack declaration of ‘Black carrot concentrate and hibiscus extract’, FruitMax® Purple 105 has a consumer-friendly declaration as well as technical stability.
So what about the color?
In low pH sugar confectionery, FruitMax® Purple 105 gives a deep reddish-purple shade, the perfect compliment for classic berry flavors or for something more mysterious…
To learn more about FruitMax® Purple 105, download our one-pager here, or to speak to our technical experts, contact us.
*FruitMax® Purple 105 is only approved for use in the EU and COODEX countries