The latest report adds further impetus for food companies to enhance their ingredient labels, or at the very least, provide consumers with clearer information about their products. The movement towards cleaner labels—characterized by shorter, simpler ingredient lists—has become a standard in the food industry. According to Innova Market Insights, nearly one in five products tracked in 2014 were marketed with a clean label. However, many shoppers remain uncertain about the true meaning of “clean label,” and consumer-friendly terms such as natural or healthy, which are meant to convey this notion, are often poorly understood and vaguely defined by manufacturers.
The Label Insight survey did not specify which ingredients or products consumers found most challenging to comprehend, but it did indicate that general claims like “clean,” “healthy,” and “natural” often lead to confusion. Only about a third of the respondents claimed to fully grasp the meanings of these terms. With this level of ambiguity, companies can sometimes find themselves in hot water. For instance, in 2015, the Food and Drug Administration reported that at least four varieties of Kind snack bars were violating regulations by labeling their products as “healthy,” as they contained excessive saturated fat. The FDA later reassessed Kind’s “healthy” claim in May 2016, pledging to revisit the term’s definition after a petition from Kind. During a public hearing in March regarding the redefinition of “healthy,” many stakeholders argued that the term is outdated.
Furthermore, the term “natural” has also been the subject of litigation in recent years, as consumers and public health advocates call for straightforward ingredient lists and transparency in marketing claims. Several food companies, including Dole, General Mills, and Post Holdings, have faced lawsuits. In the case against Post, plaintiffs challenged the phrases “100% Natural Whole Grain Wheat” and “Natural Source of Fiber,” since the wheat used in the cereal was sourced from crops treated with synthetic herbicides.
With half of the respondents in the Label Insight survey stating that ingredients are “extremely important” in their purchasing decisions, it is promising that consumers are likely to buy a product if more informative ingredient labels are available. Nearly half of Americans (46%) already look up ingredient information on their mobile devices while shopping if they encounter something confusing. This presents an opportunity for food manufacturers to make ingredient information more accessible, either through on-pack details or by providing links on the product itself. A significant 95% of those surveyed expressed at least “somewhat interested” in technology that would allow them to access comprehensive ingredient information via their mobile phones.
As consumers increasingly reject artificial colors and flavors and gravitate towards products with fewer ingredients, food manufacturers should prioritize transparency and honesty in their labeling. This includes considering whether ingredients like calcium citrate are a good form of calcium, which is important information for health-conscious shoppers. With consumers vigilant about what they’re buying, companies would do well to keep them informed.