The food and beverage industry is dynamic, fast-paced, and continually evolving. When it comes to consumer requirements for products that claim an absence of ingredients perceived as unnatural, artificial, heavily refined, modified, or hydrogenated, it is game on for the development of smart, sustainable, and traceable ingredient innovation.
But this sector has its fair share of unscrupulous operators, made possible in part by the lack of a universally defined term for ‘clean label’.
“As the market evolves, and continues to see a rise in demand, the informed consumer will spot a clean or greenwashed product a mile off. Retailers will ultimately have to enforce stricter standards to prevent unethical manufacturers and marketers from misleading consumers and this will rest on the ability to track an ingredients journey from raw material to final product,” Philipp Sommer, business director at Lecico says.
Know your clean label customer
According to Kline’s Clean Label in Food & Beverages: Perception vs. Reality report, the US clean-label food ingredient market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% by 2024.1This is fantastic growth, but its continuation rests on understanding the clean label consumer and what their requirements are.
There are two types of consumers steering this debate: ingredient-focused and health-focused consumers, and they rely on a product’s label to inform and influence their purchasing decisions.2
“The biggest challenge is that shoppers often don’t have a full understanding of ingredients, their source and origin and whether these products are naturally or synthetically sourced or produced. Labels often feature the terms that are linked to consumer perception of clean label including ‘no artificial flavourants or colourants’ and no ‘MSG’. While this does speak to consumer concerns, true clean label terminology should include the back story of a product, including the source, sustainability journey of a product and its provenance,” Sommer points out. And this is where the real growth for clean label products and ingredient innovation lies.3 The good news is that consumers are willing to pay a premium for these products, even in the face of affordability concerns in the face of rising food costs and the very real threat of a global recession.
A recent survey by Ingredion’s proprietary global consumer research body ATLAS, gathered insights from 14 000 consumers across 30 countries as part of the ATLAS 2023 study. It revealed that nearly half of consumers (46%) would pay 20 to 30% more for products that carry a natural claim. It also indicated that the number of consumers who are reading product labels and check for no artificial ingredients, natural claims and organic claims are increasing.4
Ultimately, it is transparency that drives clean labels. In a Innova Consumer Survey, transparency emerged as a clear leader as brands up their game to meet evolving consumer demands. This fact was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a total of 85% of consumers globally indicating that ingredient information is important to them. Similarly, 59% want to know where their food comes from and how it is made., 5
Unpacking ingredients
As a concept, clean label requirements can vary according to different geographies and demographics. In Russia for example, clean labelling is associated with non-GMOs, while in Western Europe, it revolves around simpler ingredient listings and the avoidance of artificial ingredients. In mature markets, ‘no artificial ingredients’ is already an expectation rather than a selling point. According to shopper research company Nailbiter, one out of six customers mention that they will engage with a specific brand or product because of its ingredient listing. 6
This ties in with survey data from Euromonitor, which found that 19% of consumers in the UK, and a quarter of consumers in France, closely read foodstuff labels before consuming. Consequently, major food brands are looking to reduce the number of ingredients they use, or to substitute unfamiliar sounding ingredients with recognisable ones. 7
“Consumers are bombarded with so much information related to health and nutrition and the recommendations are constantly changing. For many, the long ingredient lists with unrecognisable names are an easy signal that a product might be overly processed and not ‘clean.’ We are therefore seeing a back-to-basics approach where shoppers want real, whole-food ingredients that they know and trust. When formulators simplify recipes and name ingredients in an easily recognisable manner it can go far in reassuring consumers,” he notes.
Lecithin – the label friendly choice
In Europe, lecithin is considered a nutritional additive, and defined as an ‘organic substance, purely derived from plant or animal resources.’ Lecithin is seen not only as an emulsifier, but a natural and healthy product. “For those manufacturers looking to add natural, simpler, allergen-free ingredients and additives to their products, Lecico’s lecithin is a natural and healthy choice. It can be used in a vast range of food products and features a large application range. We are confident of its functionality in a wide range of products such as baked goods, frozen dairy desserts, health foods and snack bars,” Sommer enthuses.
The Lecico non-GMO promise
When it comes to traceability, cross-contamination between GMO and non-GMO is particularly relevant and requires documentation and analytical methods to ensure segregation. Lecico has developed an appropriate monitoring and traceability IP system that provides analysis and full documentation to ensure fully certified traceability, including independent audits and the supervision of the processing, storage, and shipping operation for non-GMO soy and rapeseed lecithin. For sunflower lecithin were no genetically modified commercial varities are existing monitoring of a potential GMO cross contamination with sources of other botanical origin are part of Lecico`s non-GMO certification “As the origin of our non-GMO products is completely documented and traceable, it is not subject to GMO-labelling according to EU regulation 1829/2003 and 1830/2003,” he points out.
“Our extensive application know-how allows us to partner with brand owners in the development of a wide range of products. Lecithin is a natural product that offers excellent emulsifying and dispersing properties, and it can significantly improve the quality characteristics of a multitude of food and non-food products. It not only provides a technical advantage to you during formulation but offers stellar nutritional values too,” Sommer concludes.
References:
- What Do People Expect From ‘Clean Label’ Foods & Beverages? (klinegroup.com)
- https://www.corbion.com/cleanlabel
- Next-generation clean label: When naturalness meets sustainability – Focus on The Netherlands | Mintel
- Consumers are willing to pay more for clean label, natural claims despite inflation, Ingredion study finds – Milling Middle East & Africa Magazine (millingmea.com)
- https://www.innovamarketinsights.com/press-releases/
- https://issuu.com/figlobalinsights/docs/clean_label
- https://www.euromonitor.com/clean-label-from-health-to-transparency/report
