Clean Label Becomes the Norm While Free-From Breaks Into Mainstream

Clean label has moved on beyond being a trend and is now regarded as standard in the food industry. Consumers are demanding shorter and more recognizable ingredients lists and manufacturers are responding by increasingly highlighting the naturalness and origins of their products. With growing concerns over the lack of a definition of “natural,” however, there is a need for more clarity and specificity, with consumers, retailers, industry and regulators all driving the demand for more transparency in food labeling.

This will be just one of the areas addressed by Innova Market Insights at its Taste the Trend Pavilion at this year’s IFT Food Expo in Chicago (July 11-14), where a wealth of new data and insights will be presented.

Over 20% of US products tracked in 2014 featured a clean label positioning, up from 17% in 2013, according to Innova Market Insights data. Significant rises in the use of clean label ingredients have also been tracked, with growing interest in natural sweeteners, such as stevia and monk fruit, natural colors such as those based on spirulina, elderberry and beetroot, and thickeners such as tragacanth and gellan gums. Fewer ingredients, more natural flavors and colors and recognisable ingredients top the list of consumer requirements.

Innova findings suggest that 73% of US consumers think that it is important to have recognisable ingredients in the foods they eat, as well as foods that they would stock at home. Some 28% of consumers also admit to finding a clean label important when purchasing foods. This could include statements such as ‘organic’, ‘non-GMO’ or ‘hormone-free’, as well as more established claims of no artificial ingredients.

“This demand for clean labeling has now brought the need for clear labeling equally to the fore,” reports Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights, “resulting in a move to clearer and simpler claims and packaging for maximum transparency and necessitating an industry response in terms of reformulation and new communication strategies.”

“From Clean to Clear Label” was identified by Innova Market Insights as the number one in their top ten trends for 2015, recognizing that it is no longer a niche area for the food and drinks industry. The move of free-from foods, also once regarded as a niche area, into a more diverse and mainstream positioning, will also be highlighted at the Taste the Trend Pavilion.

It is clear from the ongoing development of the free-from movement that it is no longer confined to those with allergies and intolerances, whether medically diagnosed or self-diagnosed. Issues such as overall well-being, digestive health, weight management and nutritional value may now be deemed to be equally if not more important by consumers.

Products positioned on a gluten-free platform accounted for 9% of total launches recorded by Innova Market Insights in 2014, rising to 17% in the US, while the annual average growth for lactose-free launches was 29% over the 2010 to 2014 period.

“Considerable effort has gone into developing the gluten-free and lactose-free categories in recent years,” Williams continues. “But at the same time the whole free-from category is widening out to include broader definitions such as vegan, dairy-free, grain-free, additive- and preservative-free and GMO-free. Indications of ongoing development include the arrival of existing mainstream brands in the market, as well as rising sales of specialist brands in mainstream outlets and the increased space and improved signage dedicated to them,” she notes.

Innova Market Insights will provide visitors to the IFT Food Expo 2015 with key insights on the latest trends in food and beverages, with the eleventh installment of its daily “Taste the Trend” presentations.

Source: Innova Market Insights