{"id":11439,"date":"2023-09-22T08:49:42","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T07:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fei-online.com\/?p=11439"},"modified":"2023-09-22T08:49:42","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T07:49:42","slug":"clean-vs-dirty-label-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fei-online.com\/clean-vs-dirty-label-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Clean vs. dirty label food"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Clean vs. dirty label food<\/h1>\/ in Featured Articles<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/header>\n<\/div><\/section>
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What is it and what does it mean for food manufacturers?<\/h3>\n


\nBy Pareen Shah<\/em><\/p>\n

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Strolling down the grocery store aisle, you might be surprised at how few ingredients are recognizable on the ingredient labels of the surrounding packages. Ingredients like calcium propionate, monocalcium phosphate, and carboxylmethyl cellulose may seem better suited for the chemistry supply closet. Nonetheless, these words on the label matter. A 2021 Food Ingredient LSI Survey found that 62% of consumers believe that the label ingredient list is the most important source of information about a food [1].<\/p>\n

In recent years, many consumers have begun to agree that these chemical sounding names are out of place in their pantries, at their dining table, or in the bellies of their children. A June 2021 study indicated 64% [2] of US consumers \u201ctry to choose foods made with clean ingredients\u201d. No longer are these artificial ingredients being viewed as the norm. Instead, perception of these ingredients is shifting toward descriptors like complex, opaque, uncertain, outdated, and chemical. In one word, dirty. The clean label movement \u2013 a charge led by consumers for transparency and traceability in our food supply \u2013 is shaking up the dirty label status quo. The movement prioritizes a reduced ingredient list with traceable sourcing and recognizable names. This familiarity creates trust \u2013and trust is ultimately the driver of long-term consumer loyalty. To be clear \u201cclean label\u201d is a consumer term, not a scientific definition.<\/p>\n

Laws and regulations provide little clarity either. In the US, Roger Clemens,\u202fthe former president of the Institute of Food Technologists, who currently is a professor at the University of Southern California, says \u201cconsumers are demanding [clean label] and the industry responds to consumer demands. The challenge is the fact that there aren\u2019t any regulations and there\u2019s no definition, no federal regulation, no (U.S. Agriculture Department) nor FDA definition of what a clean label is\u201d [3]. The EU is similarly murky, as the lack of a comprehensive clean label framework has left individual member countries to define their own standards [4].
\nNonetheless, it is becoming a widely accepted concept across numerous industries and disciplines, from food to academia. The movement ushers in a new era of ingredients \u2013 ingredients that are simple rather than complex, transparent instead of opaque, and revolutionary as opposed to outdated. In essence, a clean label stands for everything a dirty label is not.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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Simple vs. Complex<\/h4>\n

\u201cPerception is reality\u201d has become a clich\u00e9 in our marketing-driven world. But, alas, it\u2019s stunningly accurate. The world to-date has been chock-full of dirty label ingredients, with polysyllabic names only a chemistry professor could love. However, the perception of these ingredients to the average consumer is far from love. A study by the International Food Information Council [5] reported that of clean label shoppers surveyed, one in five (21%) chose clean ingredients to avoid potential harmful effects of chemical-sounding ingredients and nearly as many (18%) avoided unfamiliar ingredients for the same reason. The complexity and chemical nature of dirty label names has fostered sentiments of uneasiness and uncertainty, a deterrent for consumers. The result of this negative perception is the reality that our food supply needs transformation, away from complexity and toward simplicity.<\/p>\n

Clean labelling is centred around simplicity, creating ingredient labels with a short list of recognizable names. In fact, 50% of those surveyed by Ingredient Communications [6] said they are more willing to buy products if they recognize all of the ingredients on the label. Recognizable, clean ingredient label has many implications. An FMCG Gurus USA Clean Labels Survey [1] found a positive response to \u201c100% natural\u201d claims from 83% of surveyed customers and 67% to \u201cminimally processed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Innova Health & Nutrition [2] found that global consumers define clean ingredients as \u201cfree of additives and preservatives\u201d (51%), \u201conly natural ingredients\u201d (46%), and \u201corganic\u201d (33%). Essentially, recognizable means a seemingly unadulterated raw ingredient with a name so simple and familiar you might find it in your own kitchen pantry. As an example, \u201ccultured wheat extract\u201d, the clean label replacement for petrochemically-derived calcium propionate, is comprised of recognizable words which hit a much more comforting and positive consumer note than its petrochemical stunt double. It feels familiar, safe, and simple.<\/p>\n

Transparent vs. Opaque<\/h4>\n

A 2020 survey by the Morning Consult [7] found that less thana quarter of Americans fully trust the labels on food packaging. Not surprisingly, then, another study, by InsightsNow [8], found that 69% of the general population held food companies responsible for the food they create, and only 36% trusted those companies. The uncertainty surrounding dirty labelling has not only reduced trust in consumer products, but it\u2019s also reduced trust in consumer product companies. How did we get here?<\/p>\n

A close cousin of complexity is opaqueness. Opaqueness has been the status quo in the ingredient space for decades, and for good reason. Even the most brilliant marketer would have a tough time making the average parent feel good about oil \u2013 the driver of much of the environmental and geopolitical strife of the last century, the stuff that coats hapless seabirds in a lethal goo in the wake of catastrophic oil spills, the fuel that moves us around but also moves the planet\u2019s thermometer perilously higher \u2013 being a key component of junior\u2019s peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Not only were there historically no viable alternatives, but big oil \u2013 with its ruthlessly efficient production processes and massive scale \u2013 could deliver these dirty ingredients cost-efficiently. Rather than rationalizing this petrochemical production process, the public was left to view it as a nebulous but necessary black box.<\/p>\n

While the uncertainty of the shrouded approach worked for decades, \u201cpeople fear what they don\u2019t understand\u201d. Clean labels allow consumers to move away from the black box of dirty label ingredient production and toward a transparent, traceable food supply. For example, cultured celery extract, the clean replacement for sodium nitrite as a deli meat preservative, easily conveys an understandable backstory to consumers. Picking apart the name, \u201ccelery\u201d is a vegetable you could find at your local farmer\u2019s market. The modifier \u201ccultured\u201d indicates a fermentation process that many perform in their own homes to make yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, etc. The transparency provided by clean label names like these convey an understandable process with familiar inputs, a priority for conscious consumers.<\/p>\n

A revolutionary future vs. An outdated past<\/h4>\n

Clean labelling is picking up steam and is showing no signs of slowing down. A recent market report [9] predicted that the market will continue to grow with a CAGR of nearly 7% to approach $70 billion by the end of 2028. This growth is largely attributed to conscious customers willing to dig deeper into science and into their pockets. ATLAS, Ingredion\u2019s proprietary global consumer research entity, reported [10] that 78% of consumers are willing to pay more for a clean label than the dirty counterpart. Further, almost half (46%) stated they would pay 20-30% more for a product with a natural claim. These consumers recognize that revolutionizing an industry comes at a cost, and they are willing to invest in a better future by leaving behind the dirty and striving toward the clean.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most powerful validation of the clean label movement, though, lies not in studies and surveys but in meaningful investment and rapid action. \u201cBy 2025, all our products for daily consumption worldwide will have simple recipes with ingredients that are easily identifiable by our consumers.\u201d Who said this? None other than Grupo Bimbo [11], the world\u2019s largest bread baker.<\/p>\n

But like any revolution, there are challenges. Dirty label incumbents have commanded the market for decades with promises of low cost, high efficacy, and a well-established sensory profile. While consumers might be willing to make a financial investment, they aren\u2019t willing to budge on taste [12]. Likewise, both producers and consumers won\u2019t concede on efficacy [13]. The exciting challenge for clean label producers lies in meeting, and even exceeding, these expectations to retire dirty labels as a relic of the past.<\/p>\n

Many of the biggest players in the food industry have responded to this challenge. Campbell\u2019s Soup Co. launched the Well Yes! soup line of clean label canned soups. Kellogg\u2019s and General Mills has committed to remove artificial flavours and colours. Ingredient producers like Corbion, AB Mauri and Kerry have developed clean alternatives for bread preservation. The list goes on. With these pledges have come great rewards. Across global large- and mid-size food companies 40% have captured a consumer premium and 58% have reported increased revenue after clean label transformations [14]. The promise of a clean label is revolutionizing the food industry for consumers and producers. A clean label invites hope in a new world. A world where the names in our pantry match those on ingredient labels. A world where each morsel on the dining table has an identifiable source. A world full of confidence in each spoonful that touches our children\u2019s mouths. While dirty labels were a staple for previous generations, health and environment conscious consumers are seeking clean labels for the fulfilment of all that dirty labels could not provide \u2013 simplicity, transparency, and trust.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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About the author<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pareen Shah is Chief Commercial Officer at BioVeritas. He brings nearly two decades of commercial experience spanning business development, general management, product management, brand management, strategy and sales. He was most recently leading product management for the United States for plant-based protein leader Impossible Foods. Previously he was Head of Food for Corbion\u2019s Algae Ingredients unit, leading the consumer-facing Thrive Culinary Algae Oil brand as well as the B2B AlgaVia protein brand. Earlier experiences include brand & general management roles at Del Monte Foods, Peaceable Kingdom, and Clorox, as well as strategy at Levi Strauss & Company. He holds an MBA from UC-Berkeley\u2019s Haas School of Business, and an MSc in Social Policy and Planning.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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References<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

1. https:\/\/www.bevindustry.com\/articles\/95110-consumer-awareness-of-clean-label-drives-demand-for-ingredient-solutions<\/a>
\n2. https:\/\/www.ift.org\/news-and-publications\/food-technology-magazine\/issues\/2021\/september\/columns\/ingredients-clean-label<\/a>
\n3. https:\/\/www.fooddive.com\/news\/clean-label-movement-faces-consumer-confusion-and-regulatory-hurdles\/545799\/ a BBA from the University of Michigan.<\/a>
\n4. https:\/\/www.lexology.com\/library\/detail.aspx?g=f17f52b1-ac50-4113-a0a3-bab57443e48f<\/a>
\n5. https:\/\/foodinsight.org\/ific-survey-from-chemical-sounding-to-clean-consumer-perspectives-on-food-ingredients\/<\/a>
\n6. https:\/\/www.foodbeverageinsider.com\/ingredients\/study-finds-clean-labels-important-most-consumers<\/a>
\n7. https:\/\/morningconsult.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Most-Trusted-Brands-Executive-Summary.pdf<\/a>
\n8. https:\/\/www.bakingbusiness.com\/articles\/48699-how-consumer-trust-drives-clean-label<\/a>
\n9. https:\/\/www.mordorintelligence.com\/industry-reports\/clean-label-ingredients-market#:~:text=The%20Global%20Clean%2DLabel%20Ingredients,over%20the%20next%20five%20years.&text=The%20market%20growth%20is%20attributed,majorly%20among%20health%2Dconscious%20consumers.<\/a>
\n10. https:\/\/www.foodnavigator-usa.com\/Article\/2023\/02\/21\/ingredion-78-of-consumers-will-pay-more-for-clean-label-natural-claims-despite-inflation<\/a>
\n11. https:\/\/grupobimbo-com-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/s3fs-public\/reportes-2022\/bimbo_ia_21EN_0.pdf?VersionId=oLORChu5nJMvAdZzwXoHxnO3ECAgXmGf<\/a>
\n12. https:\/\/www.fona.com\/articles\/2020\/11\/whats-next-in-clean-label-2020-fona-national-clean-survey-special-report<\/a>
\n13. https:\/\/www.nutritionaloutlook.com\/view\/consumers-don-t-just-want-clean-label-beauty-products-they-want-clean-label-products-that-really-work<\/a>
\n14. https:\/\/www.nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com\/news\/article_page\/New_research_shows_clean_label_food_formulations_can_increase_profits\/202661<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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