Health conscious consumers are searching for products that fit with their wellness goals, such as balanced nutrition, adequate hydration, regular exercise and mindful activities.
Environmental awareness and sustainability are top of mind for them; whether buying organic produce or reading the labels on packaged products, they are always researching better options and seeking healthier solutions.
All-Natural
Natural products have quickly become one of the hottest trends in health and beauty, part of a greater movement called conscious consumption.
As you wander the grocery store aisles, it’s likely you will encounter foods and beverages labeled “natural.” But what exactly does that mean? With no established standards from the FDA regarding natural, this could refer to anything from organic peanut butter to lemon-flavored Skippy peanut butter!
Organic
Health-minded consumers are revolutionizing the food industry with their preference for all-natural and organic juice products, reflecting an emerging movement towards sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Research has demonstrated the correlation between health consciousness and environmental awareness, personal characteristics, family characteristics, regional characteristics and volitional attributes being influential factors on consumption of organic foods, and herd mentality of organic food consumption.
All-Sustainable
Health-minded consumers strive to minimize their environmental footprint. Brands like Pangaia employ eco-friendly fabrics like recycled cotton and renewable PLNTFIBER in its comfy activewear designs; Swedish Stockings uses emissions-free yarn and collects worn socks as recycling bin items.
Sustainability refers to products made with environmental sustainability in mind from start to finish, from raw material extraction through disposal. Brands like Pela use biopolymers and Canadian flax to craft waste-free phone cases for their phone models.
No Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMOs)
Health-minded consumers prioritize minimizing GMO risks. While FDA, EPA, and USDA all regulate genetically modified crops to ensure they’re safe for human and animal consumption, some people remain concerned about long-term effects or potential allergens that might arise from GMO consumption.
Studies have demonstrated a correlation between their level of knowledge about GMOs and attitudes about these foods, and consumer preference for non-GMO products. This may be the result of one such correlation.
No Artificial Ingredients
Many health-conscious consumers seek out foods without artificial ingredients, which are made synthetically in a laboratory and often mimic natural flavors or colors, or provide specific nutrients.
Organic apples that are free from pesticides and synthetic chemicals, and grass-fed beef produced without antibiotics or hormones are examples of products embracing the clean label trend – with more companies eliminating artificial additives and preservatives from their offerings.
No Preservatives
One of the most frequently claimed clean label claims is “no preservatives.” To find foods without additives in your produce section and meat/deli/seafood counters.
Reading food labels carefully is of utmost importance as some phrases such as ‘all natural’ do not have a defined definition by the FDA and could include added sugars, natural flavors or artificial sweeteners.
No Artificial Colors
Food dyes are synthetic substances added to foods and drinks for decorative purposes. Food dyes can be found in many products including bakery goods, soft drinks, candies (M&Ms or Starbursts), breakfast cereals and more.
Studies have linked artificial colors with adverse behaviors in children, hypersensitivity reactions, gastrointestinal disorders and cancer. CSPI hopes its new study will encourage manufacturers to alter their ingredients; state labeling laws could further assist this change of policy.
No Artificial Flavors
Health-conscious shoppers prefer products containing natural colors and flavors; however, distinguishing between natural and artificial flavoring may be unclear.
Natural flavors often include solvents and preservatives. By contrast, artificial flavors derived from synthetic sources possess identical chemical structures to those isolated from nature and are produced under controlled laboratory conditions.[3]
No Artificial Sweeteners
Sugar substitutes such as saccharine, aspartame and sucralose can be found in diet soda, throat lozenges, candy and low-fat yogurt. While some sugar replacements such as saccharine are synthetic in origin while stevia and luo han guo can come directly from plants.
Long-term consumption of artificial sweeteners has been linked with weight gain, changes in taste and appetite as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, limiting how often products containing these artificial sweeteners are consumed would be ideal.
No Animal Testing
Health-minded consumers increasingly opt for products and ingredients that have not been tested on animals.
Companies claiming to be cruelty free must also have reliable alternative testing methods ready and willing to be utilized, otherwise progress toward eliminating animal testing will continue to stagnate.
Animal tests may also be performed by raw material suppliers who test products they manufacture themselves or purchase from other companies on animals.
