The demand for natural products and "clean labels" has exploded

What is a "Clean Label"?

A clean label is not a legally mandated certification label, but rather a consumer philosophy originating from the consumer movement in Europe and America—consumers want to see natural ingredient names on food ingredient lists that they can understand and identify, rather than a string of incomprehensible chemical terms.

Simply put: "The shorter the ingredient list, the better; the more natural the ingredients, the better."

For example: Consumers are more willing to buy foods flavored with "lemon extract" than products containing "citric acid (synthetic)."

How Big is the Market?

Why is Demand Exploding?

1. Increased Consumer Label Literacy: In the post-pandemic era, consumers are more health-conscious than ever before, and actively checking ingredient lists has become a habit. Products containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives are being actively avoided by a large number of consumers.

2. Retailers are Driving Supply Chain Reform: Global retail giants such as Walmart, Carrefour, and Aldi have made clean label declarations a prerequisite for suppliers to stock their products. This means: without a clean label, you can't enter mainstream channels.

3. "Zero Additives" Transforms from Marketing Gimmick to Entry Barrier: In the Chinese market, the concepts of "zero additives" and "zero sugar, zero calories" have spread from high-end niche products to mass-market consumer goods. Categories such as soy sauce, beverages, snacks, and dairy products have all followed suit.

4. Stricter Regulations: The EU's Green Deal, F-Gas regulations, and the constantly updated lists of prohibited food additives in various countries have, at the policy level, squeezed the space for synthetic flavorings.