Key Takeaways
- Ingredient Transparency is critical; over 58% of consumers check labels before buying.
- Awareness of ingredient trust has surged due to social media, AI, and post-pandemic health concerns.
- Consumers prefer recognizable and natural ingredients, valuing simplicity and clarity in labels.
- Developers must balance ingredient necessity with consumer education to build trust.
- Connection and storytelling enhance Ingredient Transparency, helping brands foster loyalty with consumers.
All natural. Organic. Clean-label. Better-for-you. Functional. Whatever the claim, one thing is clear: the bar for ingredient trust and consumer acceptance is being raised higher than we’ve ever seen. Ingredient Transparency is now a key priority for many consumers and brands alike.
Now, over half (58%) of consumers say that they check the ingredients before making a purchase. This number climbs even higher, to 87% among shoppers who consider themselves “health-focused”. Ingredient transparency has moved from a niche preference to a baseline expectation.
When we zoom out, globally 50% of consumers say they would pay more for clean labels. A number that only appears to be growing.
This sentiment is nothing new, but rather something that has been increasing for some time. However, it also raises more questions than it answers.
In particular:
Why has ingredient trust become such a pressing issue for consumers? What does “clean-label” actually mean to consumers? And what does this mean for developers looking to build trust and gain consumer acceptance with their products?
Why Has Ingredient Transparency Become an Issue?
There are multiple possible answers to this question.
The first being that there is simply more awareness around ingredients and product labels.
Much of this has been driven by the internet and social media raising concerns over certain ingredients, as well as juxtaposing US labels to similar products from other countries.
Then there is the rise of AI, which enables anyone to get extremely robust explanations about each ingredient on the label, putting ingredient transparency one prompt away.
These come at a time, post-pandemic, when people have really started to grapple with the importance of establishing good health. In a time where so many things feel out of an individual’s control, what you put into your body is a choice that is uniquely yours.
All of these, combined with stories of lawsuits against bad actors and changing industry regulations, are shining a brighter light on these than before. And consumers aren’t looking away.
Whether fueled by social media, AI, regulatory changes, or other factors, awareness of and concern about what’s in our food have reached a tipping point.
One that developers can’t afford to ignore.
Yet with that said, what is it that consumers are actually asking for?
Clean Label Transparency and Consumer Ingredient Acceptance
The definition of “clean-label” is something that is in the eye of the beholder.
What’s considered “clean” to one person could be in a different league from a fellow shopper in the same aisle of their local grocery store. Even for the same product.
But with 61% of people preferring natural ingredients, this is usually the best place to start.
Unfortunately, again, “natural” is a term we intuitively feel we understand, but also lacks an officially regulated definition.
What might clarify this is that even more than “clean-label”, 56% of people say they’re willing to pay more for recognizable ingredients.
Another way to put this is that familiarity and simplicity foster consumer acceptance. That is ingredient transparency in its simplest form: knowing what each item is and why it is there.
The fewer items on a label, the better. But even more important than that might be one’s ability to understand each ingredient and why it’s there.
On its face, this may seem like a simple fix to the average consumer. “Take out the ‘junk’, the ‘chemicals’, and anything artificial and we’re good.”
While many developers would love to do this, “cleaning-up” labels and delivering on taste and performance expectations is a bit trickier to navigate than consumers may realize.
Ingredient Transparency Starts with Building Trust in the Brand
The truth is what works in a kitchen often doesn’t translate to mass production, for various reasons.
Developers need to ensure a product delivers from production to purchase, and then to the plate.
That’s why each ingredient is usually there for a purpose. Either maintaining taste, texture, appearance, shelf-life, performance, or all of the above.
Still, swapping artificial ingredients for naturally derived ones isn’t usually where the disconnect takes place. It’s communicating necessity, fostering familiarity, and building trust that separate success from failure.
Components like stabilizers, leavening agents, or preservatives may all be necessary to deliver on expectations.
So how are brands striking this balance?
One way is to simplify statements.
It can be as easy as changing sodium bicarbonate to its familiar pantry-staple name, baking soda. Same ingredient, wildly different perception, and a small win for ingredient transparency.
B vitamin fortifications are also a prime example of the role names play in consumer acceptance. Most people are aware of the importance of getting your B vitamins for optimal health, and would have no problem purchasing a B-complex supplement. However, when someone sees Riboflavin instead of Vitamin B2 or Pantothenic Acid rather than B5, alarm bells might go off.
Once again, same thing, just a different name.
This example is incredibly common in enriched flours, which are fortified to make sure that populations still get access to vital micronutrients that may be lost in processing.
Another is to explain the purpose where appropriate.
Stabilizers and preservatives can carry a negative connotation for certain demographics. Still, without them, those same consumers may be disappointed in the product experience.
As much as people love the taste of ice cream, the texture is equally important, if not more so. However, the average home freezer does not remain at a constant deep freeze temperature and usually cycles between cooling and warming up. This can cause the ice cream’s liquid matrix to crystallize, creating an icy texture.
Preserving that indulgent cream texture is why stabilizers are necessary for consumer ice cream. Yet, while ingredients like guar gum and locust bean gum are both naturally derived stabilizers, they may be unfamiliar. Stating that they are added “for texture” or “for creaminess” could justify their presence to otherwise skeptical consumers.
Along with explaining the purpose, explaining the source can go just as far. The word preservative in itself can be a major red flag for some. But one may be necessary to maintain a pH below 4.6 and prevent the growth of microorganisms. An all-natural preservative like citric acid could accomplish this. Another option would be to build familiarity by using an ingredient lemon juice, that has naturally high concentrations of citric acids, may ease concerns about “preservatives” while providing similar functionality..
While label simplification and education go a long way in building trust, there is still something that matters even more for success.
Connection.
Fostering Ingredient Trust Through Transparency and Connection
In the past, breaking into the market and going toe-to-toe with major CPGs was a tough sell, literally and figuratively.
Though not impossible, it was exceedingly difficult. While still hard, the demand for great-tasting products made with natural ingredients and cleaner labels has opened the door wider than ever before.
We’re seeing this impact as larger companies shift their efforts to “clean up” their labels by using natural colors and other ingredients.
However, brands that are growing and thriving in this environment aren’t doing so just because of their ingredient statements. It’s because of their story.
They’re creating trust through connection. The connection many feel they have lost to their food and where it comes from. Ingredient transparency is the proof point behind that connection.
The labels of these brands become a mere triviality because customers trust in their promises.
Guarantees that they are never going to put anything artificial in their products, that they care about their consumers’ health and concerns, and above all that at the end of the day, it’s going to taste incredible.
Building this foundation of loyalty and trustworthiness starts well before a product hits store shelves.
Relationships with the Right Partners
Telling a brand story that resonates with today’s consumers requires more than reliable suppliers. It needs partners that are as invested in a company’s success story as they are.
This may sound cliché, but that doesn’t matter when the results speak for themselves.
Offering this type of partnership is at the heart of our story here at Ever Fresh.
What does that entail?
With decades of experience in working with organic and natural ingredients, our experts can help developers offer cleaner labels, with ingredient statements that instill confidence in their products and create lasting trust with their target audience.
It starts with the highest-quality, ethically sourced ingredients. But, again, we’re more than a supplier.
Specializing in custom formulated ingredient systems, we’re not afraid of the “weird stuff”.
Whether it’s a “no-no” list of ingredients to avoid or turning innovative ideas into a tangible reality, we work side-by-side with brands to help them create products that not only hit all of their requirements, but are also just flat-out super delicious.
For example, let’s say the goal is to replace refined sugar. We aren’t just going to offer an ingredient and send a customer on their way. Our team will help formulate, evaluate, and iterate until the results consistently match the quality, taste, and functionality our partner is looking for.
Moreover, since all of our solutions are tailored to each individual formulation, we have greater flexibility than others.
This matters, especially for brands that are looking to push the envelope with their formulations, but struggle to find companies willing to do what it takes to make it happen.
How do we know this? Because they tell us so. And that’s why we don’t stop there.
Going Above and Beyond the Label
Let’s say a yogurt brand wants to add a peach inclusion. However, certain cut shapes may cause issues with their production equipment.
We’re going to do what it takes to find the right piece shape for their process.
But our investment in our partners doesn’t stop once we find a solution. From formulation through commercialization, we’re in it for the long haul.
This means sensory testing each batch to ensure that products look, taste, and perform to the same level of quality every time, cleaning out allergens after every run to prevent cross-contamination and ensure safety, and flexible MOQs that grow with the brand.
There’s also the peace of mind that those custom ingredient systems will be available as long as that product is on the market.
Of course, this builds trust with our customers, but this consistency is how loyalty grows, and that is where ingredient trust and consumer acceptance happen.
What story does your label tell?
Let’s build ingredient statements your customers actually trust — and a product they’ll come back for.
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