Young consumers push for clean labeling

The latest trend in food marketing today is “clean labeling.” But many consumers still don’t know what that means. One survey conducted by Canadean found that more than one-third of respondents did not recognize the term at all.

So, what does “clean labeling” refer to? In a general sense, it means that food products have accurate, transparent labels indicating a lack of artificial ingredients or common allergies. These labels are supposed to be easy for the average consumer to recognize and understand.

Lately, young consumers have been the driving force behind the push for clean labels. Major food brands, such as Kraft and General Mills, have been removing artificial ingredients from their most popular items in order to attract millennials. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese will no longer be colored with synthetics, but with paprika, tumeric and annatto. Trix cereal may not contain artificial bright blue colors in the future, but only because the artificial ingredients necessary to create the specific hue will be removed.

“The way people think about food is changing,” Lauren Pradhan, senior marketing manager, wellness strategy and renovation, for General Mills’ cereal division, told the Chicago Tribune. “We’re listening and want to remove obstacles that prevent people from being able to enjoy our cereals.”

Businesses need to understand what their customers want, and continuously rebrand products to meet demand. You can stay on top of changing trends in the food and beverage industry by investing in a printer for custom labels. At DuraFast, we carry a wide selection of printers and printing supplies to help your labels stand out. Contact us today!