Shoppers want to know what is and isn't in a product

Healthwashing is Here to Screw With Our Well-intentioned Eating Plans—Here’s What You Need To Know – Erin Magner, February 19, 2019

What’s behind the food industry tendency of loading up a product label with all those health claims? Or, how should consumers think about ingredient (or lack thereof) claims one brand makes against the other? These questions came to the fore after one light beer claimed it didn’t use corn syrup in its brewing process while another brand does in a Super Bowl commercial this year.

“The corn syrup thing is part of the larger trend of clean-label food, says Kara Nielsen, vice president of trends and marketing at food and beverage consultancy CCD innovation. As Big Food continues to clean up its labels, this is a very common [marketing strategy]: comparing yourself to your competitors by saying, Hey, look, we only have five ingredients, or We got rid of the trans fats and so we’re a better choice. It’s part of the whole mindset against big processed food and everything that’s wrapped up in that notion of cheap commodity ingredients that many consumers don’t want anymore. A lot of these claims are appealing to a new value set, especially among millennials who are looking for foods made in a different way—with more care, with transparency.”

Yet Kara notes that brands are in a tough position, needing to stand out against stiff competition and communicate as clearly as possible to shoppers what’s in or not in a product. Read the article>>

Image credit: Anheuser-Busch