Clean label ingredients
Clean label is an influential movement, but how can manufacturers leverage its benefits and translate it into commercial success?
Simplify labels and satisfy consumers with clean label ingredients
Build your brands with food and beverages consumers feel good about
Formulating to be what’s next with clean label ingredients can bring many questions — especially when you have complex product positioning, functionality and performance needs to consider.
"How do I get a clean label while keeping consumer-preferred taste and texture?"
"What are clean label ingredients that can bring more value to my products?"
"Which on-pack claims should I target with my clean label ingredient selection?"
For informed answers and end-to-end solutions, talk to the clean label pioneers at Ingredion.
We've led the way in clean label product innovation and technology for more than two decades — introducing the first clean label product in the 1990s, and later publishing the industry's enduring "gold standard" clean label definition in 2011. As the clean label movement has evolved, we've been there with an ever-growing range of clean label ingredients, in-depth consumer and market insights and full formulation and development support — all to help your brand create authentic foods and beverages with the ingredients consumers accept, expect and prefer.
Take on your toughest clean label challenges
Whatever your application and product challenge, we can provide you with everything you need — from consumer insights, CULINOLOGY® and sensory resources to R&D support and manufacturing scale-up — with seamless communication and collaboration. We'll apply our applications and formulation knowhow to help you:
- Get more functionality out of fewer ingredients
- Replace additives and allergens while keeping all the delicious goodness
- Answer rising demand for “free-from” products without compromising on taste, texture and functionality
- Maximize the return on your investment to affordably leverage the clean label trend
Get insights to deliver on consumer expectations
Prioritizing your clean label product development and reformulation requires deep understanding of market forces, next-level ingredient options and consumer expectations and preferences.
That's why we continually work to deliver proprietary insights and data needed to help you drive clean label success.
- Explore our global ATLAS consumer research, which reveals the latest trends on ingredient acceptability and awareness for food and beverage brands
- Rely on our teams of technical and market experts who can help identify next-generation clean label ingredients to accelerate your growth and meet performance needs
- Run our clean label business opportunity simulator to learn how clean and simple ingredients can create value
Which factors drive bigger clean label gains?
See what our latest global manufacturer study reveals about the clean label efforts that outperform the norm in key business metrics — and pick up some new ideas that can position your business for success. Read the summary.
Powering profit with clean label
Ingredion's latest clean label research uncovered that that food and beverage manufacturers around the world reported increased profit and margins from clean label initiatives.
Download the Powering Profits report to see how your competition is using clean label to improve their brand loyalty and financial performance.
Clean label business opportunity simulator
Learn how clean and simple ingredients create value.
What is clean label?
Ingredion's authoritative clean label definition has been widely accepted as the industry standard by both suppliers and manufacturers. It has evolved to describe clean label products as:
- Only made with ingredients that are recognized and accepted by consumers
- Free of ingredients that are artificial-sounding or misleading
- Containing no genetically modified ingredients (non-GM); and
- Having an ingredient listing that is consistent with the consumer’s understanding of on-pack claims.
Adding simplicity to the mix
To reflect continued changes in consumer views, the evolved clean label definition has been joined by a "simple label" definition — defined as having all the characteristics of clean label, plus:
- Only made with ingredients that are highly accepted and expected by consumers in the specific food or beverage
- Uses minimal number of ingredients to conform to culinary standards or traditional or authentic recipes
- May include trade-offs to achieve simplicity (e.g., visual appeal, texture, shelf life)
Evolving meanings and expanding options
As the clean label movement has become mainstream, its meaning has expanded into consumer desires for sustainability, plant-based foods, low sugar, low-calorie options and ingredients known to promote good health.
In turn, we've grown our broader capabilities to help you deliver on these demands — including extending our core clean label texturizer lineups with exciting new options including:
- Functional organic starches and flours made of corn, tapioca, rice and potato
- Fruit- and vegetable-based solutions from Kerr by Ingredion®
- An ever-expanding toolbox of pulse-based ingredients
The Business of Clean Label from Ingredion
We all know that clean label is good for consumers, but did you know it’s good for your business too? This video explores the advantages of a clean label approach. Incorporating clean label can support your commercial drivers and deliver healthy business returns.
Explore the world of clean and simple ingredients
Visit our clean and simple information hub for more details and insights to leverage your clean label opportunities.
Explore alternatives to titanium dioxide
With the EU Commission considering a Europe-wide ban on the use of TiO2 in food, food imports going into Europe that contain the ingredient will be affected. Added to this challenge, 77% of consumers globally are looking to ingredient lists when they decide on the food and drinks they purchase, and only 8% of consumers ranked TiO2 as an acceptable ingredient.1 Start planning ahead with alternatives to TiO2. Get in touch to explore how Ingredion’s solutions can lighten your formulation challenges and improve consumer acceptance, all while maintaining desirable colour and texture.
1ATLAS, Ingredion Proprietary Global Consumer Research, 2020
Explore clean label articles and case studies
Clean label chicken breast case study
Discover how a functional native clean label starch was used to maintain cooked meat product quality and improve margins without increasing price. Read the full case study now.
Clean label cheesecake case study
How rapid reformulation transformed a dry cheesecake into an indulgent, clean label dessert and overcame NPD challenges. Read the full case study now.
Clean label macaron case study
Discover how a leading macaron producer prioritised going clean label to protect its brand and build consumer trust. Read the full case study now.
Let’s make your goals a reality
Agile collaboration. Deep formulation expertise. Broad portfolio of in-demand ingredients. Market research and consumer insights.
Chat with our SOLUTION GURUS™ to discover how to replace titanium dioxide in pan-coating and confectionary, pastry fillings, soups and sauces.