“Clean label” is an approach to food that focuses on making ingredients more natural, easier to understand, and simpler to list. Clean-labelled products are usually free from additives, preservatives and synthetic ingredients. The ingredient list consists of simple and familiar raw materials. With the growing trend towards healthy living, clean-labelled products have become increasingly popular, as consumers seek out options that are more natural, transparent, and easy to understand.
In response to this consumer demand, food producers have begun using terms on their products that evoke the idea of a “clean label.” According to Innova Market Insights, there have been 38,878 product launches in the Middle East, Africa, and Türkiye (META) region over the past five years (2019–2024) featuring clean label claims such as “preservative-free” and “additive-free”, “natural”, “GMO-free”, and “organic”.
In response to this consumer demand, food producers have begun using terms on their products that evoke the idea of a “clean label.” According to Innova Market Insights, there have been 38,878 product launches in the Middle East, Africa, and Türkiye (META) region over the past five years (2019–2024) featuring clean label claims such as “preservative-free” and “additive-free”, “natural”, “GMO-free”, and “organic”.
* According to Innova Market Insights, between 2019 and 2024, products labelled as preservative-free, additive-free, natural, GMO-free, or organic. Products may carry one or more of these labels.
* According to Innova Market Insights, the category breakdown of products carrying preservative-free, additive-free, natural, GMO-free, and organic labels between 2019 and 2024 is as follows.The seasonings category ranks highest among products featuring clean label claims. Fruit juices take second place, followed by biscuits in third. When we look at consumers’ label-reading habits, it’s clear that they pay the most attention to baby foods. However, awareness has grown across other categories too, which is why we now see clean-labelled products being launched in a wide range of areas – from seasonings to tea.
Cargill’s IngredienTracker™ research aims to understand consumer attitudes towards product ingredients and current trends. According to the latest findings from 2022, three-quarters of consumers in the META region reported that they read the labels on the products they purchase. Among consumers who read labels, 68% said they do so because they are looking for specific ingredients, while 69% stated they read labels to avoid certain products. This highlights the growing need for food producers to prioritise the simplification of their recipes and the ingredients used in them more than ever before.
