Eliminating the artificial

As the summer months approach, it’s interesting to see more natural foods on shelves. This ties in with a willingness to track nutrient intake and an increase in the importance of clean labels.
We’re in an age where natural foods and the natural nutritious benefits of ingredients are highly sought after. Functional nutrients are a key trend that the food and drink sectors need to be aware of, according to Euromonitor International.
Consumers want food makers to provide foods that fit in with their lifestyles. Hence, the growth of snacks that are easy to consume during the day and easy to locate in-store. What’s changed with snackification is people buying food with higher awareness of their impact on their health. Deciphering what’s on a label is being carried out by an increasing number of people.
As consumers, we want natural offerings where protein, fibre and minerals are part of the ingredients.
Gut and vision health in adults and brain development for young children are two areas presenting exciting potential for further innovation in nutrition, notes Euromonitor. Which in turn calls for more clean labels.
We’re also adopting apps such as Yuka, which monitors nutrient content or intake. Yuma reportedly scans 3 million barcodes a day – and growth in this area is likely to rise.
Together with the rapid increase of wearables bought globally over 2014-2019, Euromonitor International’s consumer research surveys show consumers are increasingly tracking their health through devices and apps.
Artificial labelling is good to see on packaging at a time when shoppers will be most responsive to such claims on all important snacks.