By Donna Berry, Contributing Editor
Springtime provides permission to toss the tattered and torn, to update styles that better complement current times. Many food and beverage manufacturers are conducting their own sort of spring cleaning. They’re revisiting product formulations and cleaning up product labels by replacing ingredients that have become outdated in the eyes of some consumers. “Today’s consumers are more interested in what goes into their bodies than ever before, so anything that sounds like it wasn’t provided by Mother Nature is scrutinized," says Stephanie Lynch, vice president-sales and marketing, International Dehydrated Foods, Springfield, MO. “Despite the fact that, in many cases, scientific studies find no real detrimental effects, public opinion drives preference and, eventually, regulation.
What is a clean label?
“There is no actual standard for clean label," says Lynch. “What the consumer does not want to see on the label determines whether it’s considered cleanly labeled or not. Any chemical-sounding name or anything that says ‘artificial’ is generally not considered a clean ingredient." She says that most ingredients with a name that implies extra processing aren’t clean-label ingredients.
Matthew Incles, market intelligence manager at U.K.-based Leatherhead Food Research, Leatherhead, Surrey, has a slightly different perspective. “Clean label is a phrase used by food and drink manufacturers to describe products made with ingredients that consumers understand," he says. “A clean label gives consumers sufficient information to enable them to make informed decisions regarding the contents of the product.
“According to this definition, a cleanly labeled product does not need to be manufactured with ‘natural,’ ‘additive-free’ or ‘found-in-the-cupboard’ ingredients, as some suggest," says Incles. “This is because the emphasis is on providing consumers transparent and clear information. For example, consumers might be perfectly happy to eat or drink products containing artificial ingredients. The point of clean labeling is therefore simply to inform shoppers to enable them to better express their consumption preferences."
But, as research shows, most consumers strive to avoid artificial or overly processed foods. According to HealthFocus International, St. Petersburg, FL, 77% of shoppers are interested in natural foods. But what does natural really mean to shoppers, and how important is it? These questions remain unanswered and are likely product-specific.
“Clean label is difficult to define since consumers have different interpretations," says Cathy Miller, technical applications director, Danisco USA, New Century, KS. “These interpretations differ among demographics, regions and products. Some consumers believe that if a product is natural or organic, then it is clean label. Others feel that different products are already considered to be more natural or healthier, such as whole-grain bread, yogurt, etc., and they are not as concerned about the label. Feedback that we have received indicates that consumers generally find highly processed foods more-suspect and read labels on these products more often, so they are the biggest target areas for cleaner labels."
Byron Madkins, senior director, product development and applications-colors, Chr. Hansen Inc., Milwaukee, WI, says: “Products considered clean label are typically not artificial and are free of artificial ingredients. Further, they are typically preservative-free, have mild to no processing, are cleanly extracted without the use of chemical solvents and are free of additives.
“The term additive is vague, however, and can include ingredients such as gums, stabilizers and antioxidants," adds Madkins. “But what we have found is that naturally derived or minimally processed additives are considered acceptable by most of our customers." He also finds that ingredients with long chemical names can drive consumers away, “especially if there are similar products that don’t have these ingredients listed on their ingredient panels. In addition, consumers are more educated about what certain ingredients and compounds are. And if they don’t recognize an ingredient, they can quickly look for it on the Internet, something that was not really possible 20 years ago. And finally, many consumers see clean-labeled foods as safer for them, better for them, higher quality and even healthier."
This is why Incles explains that a strong correlation exists between his definition of clean label and natural ingredients. “The limitation of the clean-label definition is that it relies on consumer knowledge and awareness of a vast array of ingredients, and understanding what they are, where they come from, how they are used, why they are used and what impact, if any, they have on human health," he says. “Because consumers have limited knowledge, manufacturers will encounter barriers—perceived or real—towards certain ingredients. In Europe, the most obvious is the perception that e-numbers are bad." However, e-numbers include ingredients like annatto, lecithin and pectin―and even oxygen―which generally don’t cause consumers to raise an eyebrow.
Tammi Higgins, director of brand marketing, Kalsec, Kalamazoo, MI, says: “Even within a single company, the definition for clean can change depending upon the specific label that is under consideration. In general, the Whole Foods list of unacceptable ingredients is typically held as a standard for natural, clean and simple."
Wholesome is another descriptor that has become synonymous with clean label. “The term wholesome is often used to describe products that are not modified or considered additives by regulatory authorities," says Bob Allin, director-savory marketing, National Starch Food Innovation, Bridgewater, NJ.
