Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to highlight the 'naturalness' and origins of their products, with clean labelling now an industry standard.
Innova Market Insights says consumers are demanding shorter and more recognisable ingredients lists, and retailers and regulators are asking for more labelling transparency as to the definition of 'natural'.
Its data reveals over 20 per cent of US products tracked in 2014 featured a clean label positioning, up from 17 per cent in 2013. 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.
“This demand for clean labelling has now brought the need for clear labelling equally to the fore,” reports innovation director Lu Ann Williams.
'From Clean to Clear Label' was identified by Innova Market Insights as the number one in their top ten trends for 2015.
This topic, and the move of free-from foods into the mainstream, will be highlighted at the Taste the Trend Pavilion at the IFT Food Expo 2015 in Chicago next week.
