For the past 20 years or so food manufacturers have used every catch phrase from fat free to low carb to organic to all natural on their package labels in hopes to boost sales. And 2010 will be no exception as theses companies move away from complex ingredient lists on their product packaging to a simplified version. Last April I wrote a blog regarding the first wave from food manufactures, specifically Häagen-Dazs and Frito-Lay, who paved the way to this trend by using simple ingredients in their products and on the label. Pick up almost any processed food product currently on your local grocery store shelf and it will usually contain a laundry list of difficult to pronounce ingredients. In a world where consumers are becoming more savvy as to the foods they want, maybe simple is the way to go. And it must be catching on. In a recent article published in USA Today, simple sells. With the success of the Häagen-Dazs Five ice cream line launched earlier this year, other companies are now looking to cash in on the success that 'simple sells.' Companies such as Campbell's and Kraft are quickly following suit by jumping on the bandwagon by offering soup and crackers with five ingredients or less on the label. But do these pared down ingredient lists offer better options for the consumer? For me, simple is better, but I am not talking ice cream, crackers, or chips. Those are food items I don't buy any way. In fact, I buy simple every day when I buy fresh fruits and veggies. However, for those who do buy these products I do feel that it will make life a little easier to choose between a product with 20 ingredients and one with five or less. What do you think? Is this just another trend, just like the low fat trend of years ago or do you feel this is the food manufacturer's answer to simplifying our lives by making shopping easier and healthier? |
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