Clean label is big business. Euromonitor International estimates that global sales of clean-label food products will reach $180 billion by 2020.
Clean label used to mean a food or beverage was free from artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. But the category has evolved. Now consumers want to know the origin of the ingredients in their food and beverages, and how those food and beverages were processed. Clean-eating consumers scrutinize not only the ingredients, but also the sustainability, traceability and animal welfare practices of the brands they purchase. Clean label has also been defined as simple and transparent.