Growing The Clean Label Message

The clean label movement has developed at pace in the last 20 years as a reflection of the consumers’ desire to know what is in a product and what it is free from.  As the market for what are termed ‘natural’ food and beverages reached $71 bn. globally in 2014, so there is growing demand for additive free products with few or no E-numbers listed in the ingredient declaration.

Clean label has rapidly evolved now as a ‘de facto’ standard for mainstream foods. At least 20% of new US products tracked in 2014 featured a clean label positioning which was an increase of 17% on 2013 based on Innova Market Insights data. In fact Innova identified ‘From Clean to Clear Label’ was number one in their top trends for 2015.

Clean labeling is certainly a buzzword !

FoodWrite Ltd developed a product development plan for a recent launch with ‘clean labelling’ at the forefront. In the planning, it was apparent from gathered insights that such labelling helps drive forward the purchasing decision by the customer,  as well as how a product needs to be positioned carefully for success  and the regional variations of the consumer. All three aspects are critical elements in understanding new product launches.

Definitions Concerning The Clean Label

There is really no definition of clean labelling in Europe or the USA as it doesn’t appear on food products. There is no regulatory definition either. It is really a perception based on what I had actually written earlier. One key feature is the consumer still has a keen interest in the concept even if they cannot pinpoint what it really is. 

The concept of ‘clean’ is not based on any scientific evidence but on consumer perception and retailer positioning. Best then to go back to an expression called ‘natural’. The European Union does not really define the word except where flavourings and some additives are concerned (see (Regulation (EC) 1334/2008), likewise, the US Food and Drug Administration has no formal definition either as long as it is not perceived to be misleading. The UK has published information on its web-site about the use of the ‘natural’ marketing claim which can be used as a reference source by the  industry and regulatory authorities.

In fact, clean label usually implies the use of phrases like free-from, nothing artificial, organic, fresh, raw, gluten-free, simple, free from GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and minimal processing as potent terms describing ‘natural’. If a food does not use such phrases then processed food becomes increasingly less acceptable to the consumer. All these terms add up to ‘clean label’.

For ‘clean label’ the word then is transparency meaning wholesome ingredients, no artificial ingredients and no allergens.  One obvious impact on the label is to see a reduction in the number of ingredients, especially those with long, unidentifiable names, names that are difficult to pronounce or sound like chemicals; those perceived as synthetic or artificial and those having no obvious nutritional or functional benefit. Clearly though, a food must have all ingredients labelled which has led to some seeking alternative names which sound more natural but are naturally derived forms of those ingredients removed.

From another perspective, food labelling was also thrown into sharp relief quite recently.  The horsemeat scandal of 2013 demonstrated to all in the industry that trust is soon ruined in a product if it is unclear what it contains even if horsemeat is as good for you as any other meat. If the consumer is told something else about the product that isn’t true then confidence in the food industry disappears.  This aspect of fraud made labelling a political issue and being clean  even more pertinent.

Customers are more knowledgeable about food too. One key aspect of the package that a customer examines with any foodstuff is the ingredient list, the nutritional content and any messages that tell them about the safety and quality of the product. Most consumers build their knowledge on food and ingredients by reading about it, watch cookery shows, describe their eating experiences on Facebook or Twitter and aspire to be like the celebrities on what is eaten.

Regulatory requirements must always be followed strictly in the drive to make a clean label which appears simple or has natural ingredients, or expresses an absence of allergen or reduction. The EU General Food Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and the EU Labelling Directive 2000/13/EC with amendments, dictate that food must be safe to eat, with no misleading labelling and have on appropriate packaging all the mandatory information in a form that is stipulated by this legislation. Ingredient listings need to be simple enough to be understood without losing meaning or contravening the law.

New Ingredients: Do They Really Do The Job For A Clean Label

When we read an ingredient list, we see ingredients which evoke an idyll of naturalness, health and well-being. Unfortunately these ingredients do not always say what they do ‘on the tin’ by failing to deliver on their promise. If you replace inorganic nitrates in meat products for example with celery powder, it may seem to be safer and clean, However, celery powder contains significant amounts of naturally occurring nitrates. This fact is not disclosed on any product label so could be a problem for anyone with nitrate intolerance or allergy.

Significant increases in the use of certain ingredients with a clean label perspective are noted. Natural sweeteners include monkfruit and stevia. Natural colours include black carrot, elderberry, beetroot and spirulina. 

New food additives which are entering the EU positive ingredient lists are also being described more naturally. Recently two food additives that sound more natural as identified were an ‘Extract of rosemary’ (E 392) – an antioxidant, and ‘Cassia gum’ (E 427) as a gelling agent and thickener. These were announced as such in Directive 2010/69/EU of 22 October 2010.

We also have to accept that ingredient suppliers will call any ingredient in their portfolio which is natural as having ‘clean label’ credentials.

The other continuing trend is how many ingredients are on the label. We have seen products which go out of their way to claim a smaller number of ingredients than their rival. Having just 5 ingredients appears to be a really attractive claim but we mustn’t be fooled into thinking it is any better. If you list all the vitamins a product might contain, then there might be at least 10 not to mention all the minerals. Yet, a multi-vitamin products is not ‘cleaner’ than one containing a single vitamin. The implication might be that focusing on a clean label actually reduces the nutritional impact of the product.

Activism On Clean Labelling

Should we remove an ingredient to generate a clean label alternative because we want to avoid the wrath of badly informed activists. One incident has certainly backfired on product developers and that is the replacement of the gum thickener and stabiliser carrageenan. A medical researcher in Chicago confused by mistake this ingredient with another derivative called poligeenan.  The impact has meant loss of key functional properties because carrageenan is not easily replaced with other gums, it meant additional cost to redo product development and advertising to reassure customers of the brands that they had not been poisoned by a nasty chemical. The replacements are oat fibre, gellan gum, citrus fiber, sunflower lecithin and konjac (Asian Yam) flour. These might be effective ingredients for the purpose at hand but the cost has been high simply because manufacturers fell for the hype and hysteria in the press about the dangers of carrageenan.

The picture now is that consumers are seeking greater naturalness in their food. The manufacturer wants to satisfy this need and so produces a more succinct and accurate nutrient profile with claims such as calorie reduced etc. However, overlay the requirements for EU Nutrition and Health Claims legislation and ‘clean labelling’ becomes even more complex. The consumer can only refer to the product label as their only means of intimate knowledge about the food. The increasing challenge for the manufacturer is to ensure this label is as accurate as possible without being misleading. The other challenge is to find ‘natural’ ingredients which meet the EU’s Novel foods regulations and of course these require pre-market approval – not straightforward by any means !