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CLEAN LABEL
A clean break for bakeries How clean-label goods with simple ingredients are maintaining popularity and profit. “I’m going to start eating cleaner.” Author: Liz Goodwin
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It’s a common mantra at the turn of a year or when summer approaches, and the word ‘clean’ is one that consumers focus on in multiple ways. ‘Clean label’, the food movement that preaches products without artificial chemicals, continues to rise in popularity with shoppers, and it’s proving that short ingredient lists (especially with names the common person can pronounce) pay off. But as trendy as the movement is, it still has many questions surrounding it, including the most basic: What exactly is a ‘clean label’, and who decides whether something is ‘clean enough’ to make the cut? Although there is no universal rulebook on what is required for a product to be considered clean label, a general rule of thumb is that the ingredient list needs to be short and relatively simple. This usually means nixing preservatives and artificial colors and flavors, while still keeping the same taste and texture consumers love. Although it’s a tall order for bakery producers, it’s a force to be reckoned with in the grocery aisles: 48% of global consumers say they make proactive health and wellness choices on a regular basis, according to NielsenIQ, and 77% of consumers expect product labels to be more specific and transparent. Gone are the days when uber-clean products were a niche market; it has been propelled into the mainstream and is now more of a standard than a specialty. Jennifer Halliburton, Corbion Global Bakery Insights senior manager, has spent much of her career figuring out how to conquer clean label. She said that in a world where the rules are ambiguous, it’s best to let bakers and snack producers create their own path in the clean label space. “I approach it as partnering with customers to understand how they want to look at the label for their own differentiation,” she said.
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“A big trend in formulating is ‘choice goal,’ and clean label is huge at choice goal, though I don’t put a hard definition out on the topic.” A choice goal is a consumer behavior concept that is critical to pinning down ways to get your product noticed. IGI Global defines a choice goal as a benchmark that people want to attain during product selection, which can in turn determine their satisfaction with the decision-making process. For example, if a consumer has a goal to be more conscious of ingredient lists in their snack choices, a clean label product would gain the attention (and the dollar) of that shopper. They will feel good about the purchase because it met their goal, and hopefully, come back for more. A common way for brands to get themselves into many consumers’ choice goal categories is by being open about what’s in their product. Despite the ambiguity around clean label’s true definition, one thing is crystal clear: A straightforward label strengthens the chances of a consumer deciding to press ‘add to cart’. “For some, clean label is just about transparency,” Halliburton said. “They want to know where products come from and what they do. They don’t want to feel like they’re being tricked or that there’s something heavier in there.” One brand that taps into the ‘transparency tactic’ is Waterville, ME-based Maine Crisp Co. The clean label and gluten-free crisp brand uses buckwheat flour in its products, allowing for a balanced taste that doesn’t require extra flavoring agents. “Our product’s clean label helps us successfully straddle the gluten-free market, where our flavors stand out, and the artisanal crisp market, where our gluten-free certification is a differentiator,” said Karen Getz, founder and president of Maine Crisp Co. “We’ve recently found that store buyers, customers, and nutritionists look at our label and are happy to see that we use buckwheat flour instead of rice, starches, and gums as binders, so we will continue to emphasize that in our marketing strategy.“ While ingredient openness is becoming gospel for so many food producers, one retail outlet is often deemed the pioneer of the clean label movement: Whole Foods. The health food giant that offers an organic option for nearly everything has a list of more than 230 ingredients — including hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup, and sweeteners such as
