For the last decade, leading market research firms from Mintel and HealthFocus to Innova Market Insights, among others, have all identified the clean label movement as a top consumer and food industry trend. Over this period, this key trend has evolved. In the beginning, the focus was on replacing obviously artificial or chemical-sounding ingredients with ones that were more familiar and/or natural-sounding to consumers.

As consumer preferences change and new multifunctional and on-trend clean label ingredients emerge, the challenge to formulate more consumer-acceptable clean label products will continue. However, consumers are also widening the concept of what it means to be “clean label.” Their demands for supply chain transparency, sustainability, emphasis on plant-based foods and awareness of chemical hazards are increasing.

As a leading provider of intelligence on this fundamental trend, the 7^th Annual 2020 Clean Label Conference, March 25-26, 2020 in Itasca, Ill., provides food and beverage company food scientists/product developers a compelling program.