CPG Selling Point: Fewer Ingredients

Food companies are touting simplicity as more consumers want to recognize what they eat.

August 11, 2016

NEW YORK – Quite simply, consumers are looking for foods that are, well, simple. The Wall Street Journal reports that consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms are moving toward product labels that are short and sweet, touting fewer and more natural ingredients.

“Scientists at Hershey Co. spent a year and a half working to cut the number of ingredients from its classic chocolate syrup,” notes the news source, adding that ConAgra and General Mills “are winnowing their ingredient lists to as few elements as possible.”

Citing a noticeable food trend, the news source notes that more consumers care about what’s in their foods and beverages and are challenging CPGs to use recognizable ingredients. “The litmus test for many consumers is whether those ingredients might appear in their own kitchen cupboards,” suggests the WSJ.

On most packaged foods, Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation for Innova Market Insights, commented that consumers should be able to count the ingredients on two hands. “Up to 10 covers most things,” she says.

Haagen-Dazs ice cream ads running in major cities show a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and touts, “5 ingredients, one incredible indulgence,” along with the recipe of cream, milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. In 2009, Haagen-Dazs tried a similar promotion but it fell flat because lower fat wasn’t popular among consumers. Alex Placzek, marketing director for Haagen-Dazs, suggested to the WSJ that the U.S. is experiencing “the largest shift in American food habits since World War II. Consumers are interested in the quality, origin and simplicity of ingredients.”

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