How clean is your label?

Agenda: What do consumers understand by terms such as ‘clean’ eating and ‘natural,’ where is the trend going next? Is clean label a point of difference anymore or just expected by today’s consumers, and how do expectations vary by brand and category?

In this panel debate, moderated by FoodNavigator-USA editor Elaine Watson, we’ll discuss:

• What does ‘clean label’ mean today, and are definitions of clean-label moving beyond the ingredients list to cover incidental additives and processing aids, production methods, animal rearing standards, and pesticide residues? If so, what does this mean for formulators and does it open up brands to more false advertising lawsuits? How can brands reduce their risk?
• Will ‘glyphosate-free’ claims take off, and could Non-GMO turn into a minefield as the new GMO labeling rules roll out?
• What cues for ‘natural’ are consumers looking for on pack and will the FDA finally weigh in this year?
• Are ingredients that were once thought of as clean label or natural such as stevia and natural flavors still considered so by so-called ‘progressive’ consumers?
• Are consumers confusing ‘clean’ with ‘healthy’?
• Is there a trend away from fortification in a bid to shorten and clean up labels?
• What will the clean label trend mean for food supply chains in the future?
• Do shoppers understand the difference between natural and organic (and where does non-GMO fit in), and is regenerative agriculture the next big claim on pack?