Consumers want to know what’s in the products they buy, however, a new survey suggested food and beverage companies aren’t making it easy for them.
 
In a survey of 1,000 adults in the U.K. and U.S. commissioned by Ingredient Communications and conducted by SurveyGoo, 50% of people said they are more likely to buy a product if they can recognize all of the ingredients listed on the label. However, in a sign that their needs are not being met, only 19% of respondents said they always recognize all of the ingredients on the pack.
 
Demonstrating the risks of this, more than one third of respondents (36%) admitted they are less likely to buy a product made with an ingredient they do not recognize. Conversely, 44% said they are happy to pay a higher price for a product when they recognize all of the ingredients it contains.
 
The findings of the survey indicate that a large number of consumers consider clear labeling to be a priority but also raise questions about how successful the industry is at catering to their preferences.
 
“Ingredients companies have taken big steps forward to optimize their portfolios to include clean label ingredients that can be declared on-pack in clear language that most consumers will recognize,” said Richard Clarke, managing director of Ingredient Communications. “Manufacturers of finished products should consider formulating, or reformulating, their products to include these ingredients, or they risk being left behind.”
 
Most respondents to the survey, which was conducted in September 2020, also expressed a preference for natural ingredients and an aversion to artificial additives. As many as 81% of consumers said they consider the label claim “made with natural ingredients” to be very appealing or quite appealing. A similar number (78%) said they consider the label claim “free from artificial ingredients” to be very appealing or quite appealing.