Decoding “Clean Label” : What does it really mean?

The phrase “Clean Label” has become ubiquitous in the food and personal care industry. It is a quintessential product feature marketed by brands and sought after by savvy consumers.But have you ever thought about what “clean label” really means? The concept is appealing and widespread, however, there are no official guidelines to distinguish “clean label” products from others. This causes misrepresentation and misleading marketing. Read further to understand how the consumer driven term "clean label" impacts the food and personal care industry.

Simply put, food and personal care products identified as clean label are supposed to contain fewer ingredients and commonly known or easily identifiable ingredients, should be minimally processed and be as close as possible to their natural form. Let us dive deeper into understanding the nuances of the term clean label. When should you really identify your product as "clean label"?

  • Your product contains fewer and familiar ingredients
  • Your product is devoid of artificial colours, flavours, filler ingredients, bulking agents, preservatives and synthetic sweeteners
  • The ingredients used in your formulation are easily traceable
  • You care to transparently share all information around ingredient sourcing and product processing.
  • Your product is made using minimal processing techniques to ensure the desired outcome

If you can't pronounce it, don't use it.

What drives the Clean Label movement?

With no clear definition to speak off,  Clean Label is a consumer driven trend born out of several factors :

Health Awareness

Consumers are showing increased interest in reading labels with a desire to know what ingredients they are consuming. This interest stems from the growing awareness of the health risks associated with consuming heavily processed foods, consuming hidden sugars, heavy use of harmful additives and low nutritional value. With changing lifestyle, people are now prone to allergies,  intolerance to specific foods or ingredients and thus they are keen to check what they eat or apply.

Lack of trust for Industry Giants

The big brands are known to leverage the economies of scale and choose cost effective raw material to optimise the retail price for the end consumer. Such choices compel manufacturers to choose quantity over quality. Another aspect being their wide distribution network and shelf life of products. Multiple factors contribute to the choices made by  such companies when choosing right ingredients and manufacturing practices.

Smart Consumers

Consumers have easy access to information, research reports, scientific studies and that helps them decide what is good or bad for them. A lot of knowledge is made available around ingredients, their sourcing, cultivation or manufacturing techniques, healthier alternatives to otherwise harmful ingredients and the earnest desire to prioritise health above everything else. Consumers desire natural and wholesome products, which are simple to understand, have some ancient wisdom associated with it and which can now be scientifically validated too. the concept of "Natural" will be ever appealing.

Criticism and Challenges of Clean Label

The "clean label" trend, although popular garners a lot of criticism and questioning :

Lack of Regulation

The term has no clear legal definition yet and that makes it open to interpretation creating ambiguity. This allows for unfair marketing practices, misleading product claims and spreading distrust.

Functional Outcomes

To cater to a large consumer population and deliver the right product with desired quality and at the right price, certain ingredients or additives will have to be added from a product's taste, texture, safety and preservation standpoint.Compromising the product's functional needs or finding a natural alternative for each time is not the solution in many circumstances.

Subjectivity and Perceptions

Consumers may have different perceptions and understanding when it comes to "natural", "wholesome", "healthy", "safe" products. Popular beliefs, myths and trends have an additional impact. Manufacturers may find it difficult manage such varying expectations.

"Clean" can still be "Unclean"

A product might be clean but it also needs to be nutritional and have better efficacy. For eg: clean product laden with lots of added natural sugar or salt is not your best choice. 

"Clean" can mean "Costly" too

Mass manufacturing ensures affordability and making essentials accessible to maximum consumers. "Clean label" products can cost a premium and make them accessible to a limited consumer segment.

What lies ahead for Clean Label products?

The clean label movement will keep growing as consumers become more aware, health conscious and demand for nutritional and high potency products. To meet the demands of smart consumers, manufacturers are exploring good ingredients and caring to be transparent about their manufacturing processes. For clean label products to become mainstream, following measures taken by respecting agencies and authorities will help :

Regulatory Guidelines

The industry needs well-defined guidelines to ensure misleading claims are not made by brands and consumers get true value. This will ensure manufacturers clearly know what is allowed and consumers know what to expect.

Advances in product manufacturing

Food scientists, manufacturers and industry experts will explore technology to use "clean label" ingredients to manufacture "clean", "safe" and "shelf stable" products.

Sustainable Initiatives

The need to develop Clean label products can encourage manufacturers to make socially and environmentally responsible choices.

Opportunities for Indigenous Brands

Clean Label products can be carefully made in smaller batches and controlled environment to cater to a niche consumer base. As the industry makes progress, the manufacturing can be scaled up without comprising quality and key principles. 

Making informed Choices

Brands will surely promote the Clean Label to attract customers, but now you know Clean Label products may not always be healthy and safe. Do not solely rely or marketing claims, instead refer some quick tips on making informed choices.

  1. Read the ingredients list carefully.
  2. Stay away from products using jargons or ambiguous claims.
  3. Do your own research using credible references to understand more about unfamiliar or complex ingredient names.
  4. Analyse the nutritional facts of the product and check the sugar and sodium content
  5. Assess the overall nutritive value and utility of the product
  6. Choose brands that are vocal and transparent about their product claims, ingredients and manufacturing processes.

Guidelines for Brands developing Clean Label products from Contract Manufacturers

Brands looking to develop clean label products via contract manufacturers should carefully consider the stability, shelf life, efficacy and nutritive value of the products being developed. It is important to understand the source and origin of ingredients being used, understanding manufacturing processes and verify the manufacturing certifications. The process may take longer than expected, so be patient!

DOs
  1. Check if manufacturer has prior experience of manufacturing clean label products.
  2. Understand their ingredient sourcing channels and their adherence to clean label practices
  3. Clearly convey the shelf life requirements and list of allowed and forbidden ingredients as per the importing country regulations.
  4.  Choose protective packaging to ensure the safety of your product during transit and when on counter.
  5. Design concise packaging and avoid using jargons and keep it simple for your consumers.
  6. Ensure the manufacturer is transparent about their sourcing, manufacturing processes and ready to adhere to all regulatory practices as laid down by the importing and exporting country.
  7. Verify and Validate the clean label claims made by the manufacturer with supporting documents.
DONT's
  1. Do not oversell, instead clearly convey the true value to your customers.
  2. Do not compromise on safety, shelf stability and efficacy of your product.
  3. Do not overlook the possibility of allergen risks when using "clean label" ingredients
  4. Do not neglect the due diligence associated with taxes, duties and regulatory complainces
  5. Do not skip accelerated shelf life testing when developing new formulations
  6.  Do not ignore the impact of environmental factors like temperature, humidity during transit and while the product sits on a counter.
  7. Do not rule out the possibility of spoilage due to microbial growth, oxidation, or improper packaging.

"Clean Label" or otherwise, at Biowearth, we offer contract manufacturing and product development for a variety of formulations.

Write to us on info@biowearthglobal.com for your next product development.