Clean Label: from market standard to the battle against price stereotypes

For years, the term “clean label” functioned mainly as a trendy slogan used by niche premium brands seeking to stand out from mass-market producers. Today the situation has changed completely. A clean label has become a universal standard – expected not only by the most conscious consumers but by the entire market, European regulations, and manufacturers themselves. Growing nutrition awareness, access to research, industry transparency, and social pressure have turned natural, simple ingredient lists into a norm rather than an exception. At the same time, as the clean-label movement grows, a new set of “enemies” has emerged – price-related stereotypes, inflationary pressure, and structural market mechanisms that slow the democratization of truly natural products.

Across Europe, consumers are reading labels more carefully than ever before. Nutrition education, social media content, and easy access to information have made the ingredient list one of the key purchase factors. According to research, more than 60% of EU consumers say that product composition plays a decisive role, while over 70% consciously avoid artificial additives, colorants, and preservatives.

A report by Ingredion confirms that 73% of Europeans look for products made with recognizable ingredients [click and see more]. At the same time, Asia Food Journal data shows that as many as 87% of manufacturers in Europe have already implemented clean-label principles into their formulations [click and see more]. The rapid growth of the category is further confirmed by Innova Market Insights – 35% of all food and beverage launches in Europe now carry a clean-label claim [click and see more].

In practice, clean label represents a comprehensive shift in how products are developed. Modern consumers expect short, understandable ingredient lists, minimal processing, natural raw materials, and transparency throughout the supply chain. Reformulating products often requires not just eliminating unnecessary components but replacing them with natural alternatives that preserve quality, functionality, and food safety. As a result, demand is increasing for ingredients such as plant-based milk powders, natural plant proteins, functional starches, and extracts free from synthetic additives. This is no longer a temporary trend – it is the foundation of trust in a world where consumers want to understand what they are buying and eating.

Simultaneously, European regulations are evolving to support this direction. The Farm to Fork strategy and the European Green Deal emphasize reducing synthetic additives, promoting sustainable production, and increasing transparency. In effect, clean label is becoming an obligation rather than an option. Companies that fail to adapt risk losing competitiveness and face difficulties within retail networks, which increasingly expect simpler formulas and higher-quality raw materials.

One of the most demanding areas in the clean-label context is the plant-based sector. Plant-based consumers tend to analyze labels more thoroughly, question the level of processing, and expect maximum naturalness. This category is still burdened by the stereotype of being “overly processed”, which makes transparency and natural ingredients essential for building credibility. As a result, plant-based manufacturers invest heavily in clean formulations, natural thickeners, plant proteins, and simple, minimally processed raw materials.

As the clean-label movement grows, however, it faces a new category of “enemies” – primarily price stereotypes. In the minds of many consumers, products with clean labels are automatically perceived as more expensive and therefore “premium”. This misconception stems from retail positioning and long-standing habits: retailers often place natural products in premium segments and assign them higher margins because consumers associate naturalness with added value. In reality, many natural ingredients are not significantly more expensive than their synthetic counterparts. The price difference often reflects perception rather than actual production costs.

Meanwhile, products with “worse compositions” tend to be cheaper not because they are technologically superior, but because they rely on inexpensive, highly efficient synthetic additives. This is a classic principle of mass-market economics: long shelf life, high stability in transport, low unit cost, and minimal risk for retailers. A lower price tag often means a more technologically processed composition, yet many consumers do not connect the dots.

One of the biggest, yet least discussed, enemies of clean label is inflation. As living costs rise, consumers base decisions increasingly on price. Even when the difference between a natural product and its synthetic alternative is small, a strained household budget pushes shoppers toward cheaper options. In such conditions, clean label loses not to competing brands but to economic necessity. Inflation becomes a powerful force that limits access to higher-quality foods precisely when consumers need them most.