How Natural Colors Shape the Value of Shots?

When today’s health philosophy has shifted from “passive disease treatment” to “proactive nourishment,” “positive nutrition” has emerged as a core global trend in functional foods and beverages. Rather than merely trying to avoid harm, consumers seek to actively support their energy, immunity, and mood through their daily diet.

According to Innova Market Insights, consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that support immunity, cognitive function, gut health, and plant-based nutrition, particularly those proven to be natural and verifiable formulations.

Aligning with this trend, functional small shots emerge as the ideal vehicle for “positive nutrition.” With their “small size, big impact” profile, these wellness shots provide high-value bioactive peptide ingredients, prebiotics, algae extracts, vitamins, and minerals in a convenient, ready-to-consume format.

As the beverage industry continues to evolve, many brands are turning to natural colors to enhance the visual appeal of wellness shots while adding functional benefits—making this category a key driver of brand innovation.

Small Shots, Big Shifts: From Functional Beverages to Precision Nutrition

Shots, small ready-to-consume beverages, were initially introduced during the concentrated upgrade phase of the functional beverage market, represented by products like 5-Hour Energy, which focused on energy support and offered a more convenient, faster, and efficient way to get nutrients.

Entering the 2010s, with busier lifestyles and a growing focus on health, shots expanded from simple energy replenishment to vitamin supplementation, immunity support, and more. They gradually became the preferred choice for people seeking quick energy support and a nutritional boost during commuting, workouts, studying, or fatigue.

These “small size, big impact” wellness shots not only reduce sugar and calorie intake but also enable fragmented, ready-to-consume health experiences.

From 2018 to 2022, shots became more scenario-oriented, introducing targeted products to support immunity, gut health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being, often formulated with plant extracts and natural bioactive ingredients.

Since 2023, shots have entered a new stage guided by positive nutrition and precision nutrition. They are becoming more scenario-based, mood-focused, and health-oriented, as consumers now want more than single-function drinks—they look for scientific and personalized ways to support both health and emotional balance. Wellness shots are set to become a high-value segment in the functional beverage market.

Natural Colors for Shots: A New Engine for Innovation

As health and naturalness become a shared language among consumers, natural colors are becoming a key engine driving wellness shot innovation. Not only do they enhance visual appeal, but they also boost functional and emotional benefits, enabling brands to create unique value.

U.S. beverage brand Kor Shots follows the philosophy of “Superfood in a Shot,” offering organic functional wellness shots like Hydrate, Gut Check, and Vitality. Made from fruit and vegetable juices and enriched with natural ingredients such as blue spirulina extract, ginger, lemon, and peppers, each shot features clean, eye-catching packaging with colors that signal its function—green for revitalization and orange for immune support. This range demonstrates the potential of combining natural color ingredients with functional wellness nutrition, highlighting the shot’s maturity and uniqueness in the U.S. market.

Similarly, the UK brand MOJU continues to innovate within its immunity support wellness shots range. From Hot Mango and Multi-Berry to the latest Honey & Lemon flavor, each 60 ml shot delivers vitamin C and seaweed-derived vitamin D3. In its Spicy Piña, the brand incorporates spinach, jalapeño, and ginger root to enhance both its functional positioning and flavor experience.

These examples reflect that both health and appealing color are crucial in shots innovation. Industry research shows that visual design and color perception are key touchpoints in consumer decisions. Striking visuals and a “clean label” drive flavor expectations, build trust in a product’s health credentials, and then further encourage spontaneous social sharing. By using natural colors like Spirulina Extract, turmeric, and beetroot red, the product highlights health, naturalness, and vitality, turning its color palette into a key element of natural colors and brand differentiation.

At the same time, small, ready-to-consume shots are becoming a focal point for innovation in functional nutrition, incorporating high-value bioactive peptide ingredients, prebiotics, algae extracts, vitamins, and minerals. This “low-barrier experience” allows consumers to enjoy the benefits of functional ingredients in a convenient, efficient, and daily-friendly way, without committing to a full-sized beverage. As a result, precision nutrition is becoming more part of daily routines and socially engaging.

BINMEI Biotechnology: Delivering Natural Color Solutions for Shots

Natural colors not only enrich the shots with nutritional value but also enhance their visual appeal, boosting trial conversions and social media engagement. BINMEI Biotechnology, a reliable, sustainable colorant supplier, provides natural color solutions for functional shots, helping brands innovate and precisely meet consumer needs.

• Blue spirulina extract stands out for its vibrant color, functional benefits, and ideal applications.

In color, blue spirulina extract provides a rare, bright blue that creates a refreshing and calming visual experience. In shots, its pure blue conveys cleanliness, precision, and advanced formulation, highlighting innovation and a feel of science and technology.

In function, blue spirulina extract offers antioxidant benefits, and numerous authoritative studies show that it can support mood and cognitive health.

In application, blue spirulina extract dissolves rapidly and easily in water, ensuring excellent natural color stability in functional beverages. This makes it ideal for clear or semi-clear shot drinks, allowing brands to deliver both striking visual appeal and functional nutrition.

• Butterfly Pea Flower Extract shows excellent light and heat stability and exhibits color changes from red to purple to blue across different pH ranges, making it ideal for creating gradient wellness shots that enhance visual appeal, playfulness, and shareability. Rich in anthocyanins, butterfly pea flower extract supports health with its antioxidant properties. Some studies also suggest potential benefits for cognitive function, stress relief, and mood stabilization, making it a natural complement to the functional positioning of shots.

• Natural yellow color: Sea buckthorn extract is bright and rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, enhancing both color and function. With excellent solubility and stability, it’s ideal for clear functional wellness shots and creative color blends.

• Natural red colors: Aronia, hibiscus, and rose are rich in anthocyanins, which help fight aging and oxidative stress. Aronia, with its high anthocyanin content and Binmei’s unique deastringency process, pairs easily with different flavors without affecting the base taste.

• Natural green colors: Mulberry leaf powder and spirulina superfine powder, rich in chlorophyll, offer antioxidant and detoxifying benefits, supporting overall health while enhancing the drink’s fresh green appeal.

Moreover, with the FDA in the U.S. banning synthetic colors, BINMEI natural color solutions provide stable alternatives in blue, red, yellow, green and even black, supporting precision nutrition and positive nutrition while enabling one-stop color and functional matching and reducing supply chain complexity.

Empowering the Future of Clean-Label Shots with Sustainable Color Innovation

The combination of shot and natural colors reflects the convergence of “positive nutrition” and “precision nutrition.” Natural colors are becoming the visual language of functional claims, helping brands turn “looks effective” into “perceived as effective.”

In the context of regulations, guidance, and the clean-label trend, traceable and certified natural colors, including organic options, can become a brand’s moat, supporting differentiation and long-term cost optimization by reducing recalls or complaints.

Beyond the surge of innovation in shots, BINMEI Biotechnology, as a sustainable colorant supplier, remains dedicated to empowering brands with natural and sustainable coloring foods, driving clean-label beverage innovation, crafting distinctive visual experiences, and elevating product value to strengthen long-term brand equity.

Let natural colors inspire your next innovation!