Clean and simple ingredients
Simplify labels and satisfy consumers with clean label ingredients
Consumers want products that are closest to nature — made from ingredients that are understood, expected and authentic. They're counting on you to provide clean and simple labels with fewer yet familiar ingredients that are free from undesirable additives.
As the pioneer in clean and simple ingredients, Ingredion has exclusive consumer insights to plan your best moves. Leverage innovative ingredients to support today’s clean and simple lifestyles. Go from ideation to launch with full formulation and product innovation support. We help you bring it all together to make capitalizing on the consumer demand more certain and effective.
Learn more about why manufacturers look to clean label ingredients to grow their business.
Defining clean and simple labels
As leaders in clean label technology and product innovation for more than two decades, Ingredion published the industry's first clean label definition in 2011, which has been widely accepted as the industry standard by both suppliers and manufacturers. This definition 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.
The need for an additional definition — one that embodies the next level of clean label – has all the characteristics of clean label plus the following for “simple labels:”
- 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)
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 invest in proprietary consumer, manufacturing and retailer insights and data needed to help you drive clean label success.
Consumer insights
Explore our global ATLAS consumer research, which reveals the latest trends on ingredient acceptability and awareness for food and beverage brands.
Powering profit with clean label
Ingredion's latest clean label research uncovered that that food and beverage manufacturers around the world reported increased profit from clean label initiatives. Discover how your competition is using clean label to improve their brand loyalty and financial performance.
Clean label articles and case studies
Whether seeking shelf life stability in yogurt, margin management in meat or exploring titanium dioxide alternatives, we have resources to guide your next steps.
Explore our broad portfolio of clean label solutions
Ready to advance your brand with clean and simple labels that deliver value to your consumers and your business? Our comprehensive range of ingredient solutions includes functional native starches, multi-benefit citrus fibers and naturally derived emulsifiers so you can replace what consumers perceive as undesirable and develop new products with shorter lists of consumer-preferred ingredients.
Clean and simple ingredient FAQs
Which clean label claims make the most sense?
In all regions, "natural" is one of most preferred claims1 — but you'll need to do your homework to select the right ones to fit the product, region and local regulations. Much like ingredients, consumer-preferred claims vary by region. Regardless of your chosen claims, be sure the front-of-pack claims match up with the back-of-pack ingredient lists for trust and transparency.
Can I charge more by using clean and simple ingredients?
For many consumers, clean and simple labels offer extra value worth paying for — including recognized ingredients, lack of artificial ingredients and third-party verifications/certifications such as non-GMO and organic. In fact, consumers have indicated willingness to pay 10%-20% more for clean and simple labels, based on our proprietary ATLAS consumer data.1
How can I make sure my clean and simple products stand out?
Formulation expertise, category knowledge and unique consumer insights together help drive success. Ingredion is the expert in clean and simple and can collaborate with you meet your business objectives. Count on us for:
- Extensive portfolio of clean and simple ingredients to help meet your specific formulation needs, including process tolerance, shelf stability and cost-in-use
- Diverse offering of multifunctional ingredients that shorten ingredient declarations and provide “simple” labels
- Proprietary data and insights to identify ingredients and claims that will create differentiated products
- Expert formulation, product innovation support and an expanding network of manufacturing locations to get you to market faster
- Available cost-stability solutions to help protect margins against supply uncertainty
1 ATLAS, Ingredion Proprietary Global Consumer Research, 2023
Let’s make your goals a reality
Agile collaboration. Deep formulation expertise. Broad portfolio of in-demand ingredients. Market research and consumer insights.
The information described above is solely offered for your consideration, investigation and independent verification. It is up to you to decide whether and how to use this information. Ingredion Incorporated and the Ingredion group of companies make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of the information contained above or the suitability of any of their products for your specific intended use. Furthermore, all express or implied warranties of noninfringement, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose are hereby disclaimed. Ingredion Incorporated and the Ingredion group of companies assume no responsibility for any liability or damages arising out of or relating to the foregoing.