Consumers take their food and drink seriously, with 64% of French consumers, 85% of Chinese consumers, and 64% of US consumers agreeing they put a lot of thought into what they eat¹. Consumers’ interest in what they eat presents an opportunity for brands, who can showcase the details of food and drink products from farm to fork as a tactic to build consumer trust in ‘big food’. However, many consumers are concerned about food ingredients, with only 10% of US consumers agreeing they are less concerned about ingredients in 2019 than a year ago². Consumers’ interest in what they eat, coupled with their concern about food ingredients, should secure a bright future for natural food and drink ingredients that deliver clean labels. Replacing artificial additives with natural alternatives is fundamental to the clean label trend. Naturalness is very important to consumers when making their food and drink choices, and often more important than nutritional attributes. 39% of French consumers, 32% of New Zealand consumers, 48% of Vietnamese consumers agree that ‘natural ingredients’ is an important factor to them when shopping for food and drink³.

For example, in Northern Ireland, 46% of consumers agreed that ‘clean eating’ (ie unprocessed, natural foods, no additives or preservatives) was ‘good for you’, and 29% agreed it was highly nutritious⁵. 81% of French consumers agree that natural foods are healthier than processed foods6. Consumer interest in clean labels, and clean eating, opens opportunities for ingredients that help to deliver attributes that consumers’ link to these different strands of the ‘clean’ trend.

Many consumers believe that natural ingredients and foods are not just better for their own health, but better for the health of the planet. 57% of US consumers agree that natural/organic foods are safer for the environment than conventional foods¹⁴. In addition to ingredients and agricultural systems that support the health of the planet, producers and brands can tap into the many ethical interests of consumers that relate to food and drink production, in order to communicate their ‘clean conscience’ to consumers. For example, 40% of Australian consumers agree that ‘supporting local suppliers’ is an ethical factor influencing their food and drink choices¹⁵. 36% of Mexican consumers agree that ‘minimising pollution during production’ is an ethical factor that influences their food and drink choices¹⁶.