Consumers are increasingly demanding shorter and more recognisable ingredients as clean label becomes more of a long-term standard than purely a trend, according to Innova Market Insights.
Manufacturers have responded by highlighting the provenance of their products – but with growing concerns over the lack of definition of the term “natural”, there is an emerging need for clarity with consumers, retailers, industry and regulators all driving the dmand for more transparency in food labelling, the insights provider said.
The claims follow the discovery that more than 20% of products tracked last year featured a clean label positioning – up from 17% the year before.
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 colours such as those based on spirulina, elderberry and beetroot; and thickeners such as tragacanth and gellan gums.
Innova has produced an infographic, which shows that monk fruit sweetener has led year-on-year growth during the last 12 months with an 85% uplift.
Innova Market Insights director of innovation Lu Ann Williams said: “This demand for clean labelling has now brought the need for clear labelling equally to the fore, 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.”
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