Plant-based paradox?

Clean label versus plant-based… are these two major natural products industry trends in opposition?

Many consumers are torn: They love plant-based products when it comes to issues like animal wellbeing and environmental responsibility, but have a hard time looking past the complicated and highly-engineered ingredients often found on the labels. Can plant-based products clean up their act and win over clean-label consumers?

First, let’s review what you already know: Consumers want cleaner, simpler products.

54% of U.S. adult consumers agree with the statement: I read ingredient labels and avoid buying products with complicated ingredients, ingredients I don’t recognize or I can’t pronounce.

Additionally, consumers want to buy more responsibly. Clean label consumers (those agreeing with the statement above) are also concerned about climate, livestock, health and social issues, which are all issues known to drive plant-based product engagement.

The question is: If consumers can’t have both, which concern is more likely to win in the grocery store aisle?

We see here that clean ingredients are very important to plant-based consumers, and we also see that more than half of clean label consumers try to eat plant-based diets. It’s apparent that as plant-based products continue to evolve, there is a clear market for cleaner products with fewer and more natural ingredients.

For more insights from this NEXT Data & Insights study, or to explore how the clean label and plant-based trends impact your brand, give us a shout.

And for even more insights, don’t miss the latest Natural Products Industry Health Monitor: Growing natural products industry trends.