Learn about the clean label trend and how advancements in beverage flavoring solutions contribute to clean finished labels.

By now, it’s pretty obvious that consumers are interested in health and wellness. While there will always be products that consumers are willing to “indulge” in, they’re spending more and more money on products that support their health goals. This is particularly obvious when we look at the “clean label” trend.

Clean label shoppers want products with as few ingredients as possible, with recognizable ingredients, and none of the ingredients and additives they perceive as “bad” or “unhealthy.” This trend isn’t necessarily new, but post-pandemic consumer behavior has given it much more momentum. The 2024 Clean Label Insights Study from Acosta Group showed that eighty-one percent of shoppers expressed the importance of purchasing clean label products.¹ 

When it comes to beverages, this trend has led to higher sales of reduced sugar and sugar-free beverages, sparkling waters, NA beers, and a long list of functional beverages, from sports drinks to gut-healthy kombuchas. 

The issue? Not only is the idea of a “clean label” highly subjective, but it’s also incredibly difficult to formulate a beverage that aligns with consumer perceptions of “natural” or “healthy.” Fortunately, advancements in beverage flavoring technology will give your drinks delicious flavors and aromas without making your label look like a chemistry textbook.

Learn more about the clean label strategies for beverage manufacturers, and discover flavoring solutions that contribute to a clean finished label.

What is a “Clean Label?”

First, let’s get one thing very clear. Unlike GMO-Free or Certified-Organic labels, a “clean label” is not an official designation, and it has no legal definition. That means there’s no list of requirements to meet that magically make a label “clean.” So, what is a clean label?

Clean labels are more about the consumer's perception of clean ingredients. Phrases like “no artificial ingredients” and “no high-fructose corn syrup” are often viewed favorably, while ingredients and additives that are perceived to be unnatural, heavily refined, or artificial are undesirable. 

Consumers often associate botanical and adaptogenic ingredients with clean labels, but a more foundational aspect of this trend is the absence of ingredients. Phrases like “gluten-free,” “sugar-free,” and “dairy-free” fall into this category and appeal to consumers who view these ingredients unfavorably. 

Mintel’s Associate Director of Global Food Science explained to Food Navigator that “Many consumers now embrace these diets as a lifestyle trend rather than because of a medical need. And some consumers, therefore, rightly or wrongly, believe that avoiding these allergens or ingredients linked to intolerances is ‘cleaner’ and ‘healthier.’”²

There’s also an element of familiarity that shouldn’t be ignored. Many common beverage ingredients are unfamiliar to average consumers. This might include hydrocolloids, modified starches, carrageenan, casein, preservatives, etc. Many shoppers prefer labels that are easy to understand and include familiar ingredients that are “natural.”

The Problem with Clean Label Perceptions

If you haven’t picked up on it already, a clean label is subjective. The lack of legal definition means that interpretation is left up to the consumer. Some consumer perceptions of artificial and natural ingredients can make formulating beverages very difficult.  

For example, functional beverages that aim to offer additional benefits outside of hydration have greatly benefited from the clean label trend. However, adding additional nutrients is extremely difficult without synthetic or processed ingredients, and many ingredients used to enhance the nutritional value of a beverage might not fit the consumer's idea of “clean.” 

Ingredion’s Kuc-Langford explained to Beverage Industry that sports drinks with added vitamins and minerals often run into this problem. “Consumers may misconstrue these ingredients with not aligning with a clean label due to the length or chemical-sounding name when looking at the label.”³ 

This fixation on “natural ingredients” is actually quite problematic. While natural ingredients have their place in product formulations, not everything natural is safe, and not everything artificial is dangerous. Snake venom is natural, but it’s not something you want to see in your food and beverage items.

The misconception that “natural” or “easily recognizable” ingredients are better for health is further strengthened by “clean eating” trends on social media. For example, some influencers won’t eat anything with ingredients they can’t pronounce. 

Some of these behaviors are rooted in a deep distrust of authority, which isn’t necessarily baseless. Many “health food” crazes have not had the nutritional value they were advertised as having, so returning to “natural” foods that grow in the ground has some merit. However, there are also “natural” ingredients that have some very “unnatural” sounding names. 

Methylxanthine alkaloid 1,3,7-trimethylpurine-2,6-dione might sound a bit scary… but it’s just the chemical name for caffeine. Yep, the same caffeine that you’ll find in coffee beans, tea, and even small amounts in cacao beans. Want more Vitamin K2? You’ll want menatetrenone. If you’re low on Vitamin D2, you’ll want ergocalciferol, and for Vitamin B12, reach for cyanocobalamin. 

The scientific names may not easily roll off the tongue, but many vitamins and minerals necessary for a “healthy” diet have unfamiliar names that are hard to pronounce. Sure, there is merit in assessing the ingredients on your food and beverage labels, but painting all synthetic, artificial, or processed ingredients as “bad” will quickly leave you with very little to eat or drink.

Omni Hop Profiles provide consistent hop flavor year after year, beer after beer. Through the power of terpenes and our world-leading analytics, Omni locks in the flavor and aroma from your favorite cut and delivers that consistently every single time. Use “Natural Flavors” on your ingredient list for a clean finished label.

Clean Label Strategies for Beverage Manufacturers

Attempts to rebrand synthetic or processed ingredients to improve consumer perceptions have been minimally successful. However, that doesn’t mean additional marketing efforts geared toward ingredient education won’t be successful. Today, they may actually be more effective than ever.

Compared to previous generations, today’s consumers are more likely to research the ingredients of their beverages. Plus, not all clean label shoppers misunderstand the chemical nature of beverage ingredients. However, finding a happy middle ground where everyone’s needs are met requires a careful balancing act.

Should manufacturers reformulate their beverages to only include “clean ingredients” that align with the clean label trend? Maybe! Some brands have done just that, and their audiences respond positively to their ingredient's simplicity and transparency. 

However, there’s also something to be said for choosing NOT to cater to misconceptions. Instead of playing into the perception that certain ingredients are dangerous, this could be an opportunity to educate consumers AND provide innovative products.

Formulating a product based on a subjective idea is like throwing darts at a wall… in the dark. You have a vague idea of what direction to throw, but let’s be honest. You’re guessing.

Should you launch a massive educational campaign that goes through each ingredient and explains how they’re sourced, their purpose, etc.? Maybe. Will this resonate with your current, loyal customers? Will potential new customers read or watch all of this content? Great questions, and we don’t have answers. 

The truth is that the demand for clean labels isn’t equal across beverage categories. While clean labels are a cost-of-entry for some beverage types, carbonated soft drinks are often viewed as an indulgence, and consumers don’t have the same expectations of them. Differences in beverage category and consumer preferences will dictate the optimal strategy. 

One universal thing, however, is the taste requirement. 

The BrewGas Series is a collection of the world’s gassiest and skunkiest cannabis profiles — without the cannabis. Our botanically-derived terpenes contain zero THC or CBD and are TTB-approved, ensuring compliance for brewers, seltzer makers, and craft beverage creators. Use “Natural Flavors” on your ingredient list for a clean finished label.

Clean Label Beverages Still Have to Taste Good

Regardless of category or whatever trend a beverage is meant to satisfy, beverages still have to taste good. Making delicious drinks that still align with the “no artificial flavors” and “sugar-free” preferences of clean label shoppers, however, can be tricky.

While sugary beverages have dominated the aisles for decades, consumers are now more wary of them, and sales have increased for sugar-free, reduced-sugar, or even “naturally sweetened” beverages. Chief innovations officer at Icon Foods, Thom King, explains that “People want less sugar in their beverages and they also want a clean label. Less sugar, no aspartame, no sucralose — and they want it to taste great.”⁴

The same goes for functional beverages promoting digestive support, enhanced focus, boosted immunity, etc. Cargill technical services specialist Benjamin Addington says, “Many of the trendy functional ingredients that are being added to today’s beverages bring their own flavors to the party. Things like vitamins, minerals and botanicals may label cleanly, but they may not taste very clean.”

Simply masking undesirable flavors with sugars (natural or artificial) might not necessarily align with the clean label ethos. The same goes for many traditional flavoring options used in the past. While many are derived from natural sources, consumers may scrutinize their chemical-sounding names on a label.  

The best way to add flavor to clean label beverages? Keep things simple. 

Beverage flavoring technology has come a long way. Craft brewers have access to Optimized Hop Extracts that provide authentic, true-to-type hop flavors and aromas, and they can be added to labels as “Hops Oil” or “Natural Flavors.” 

There are also Terpene Brewing Solutions with high-intensity flavors that provide all the taste and smell of fruits like Passionfruit, Peach, and Grapefruit or dank cannabis cultivars like Super Lemon Haze, OG Kush, and Gelato. They won’t add any calories or sugars, and you can list them as “Natural Flavors” on your ingredients list.

The best part? They all taste great.

Formulate Clean Label Beverages with Abstrax Hops

At Abstrax Hops, we provide novel solutions for beverage manufacturers looking to streamline, innovate, and gain a competitive edge. With our knowledge, technology, and extensive resources, we’ve crafted our collections to provide recognizable flavors and aromas that contribute to a clean finished label. 

The Skyfarm Series makes it easier than ever to add vibrant fruit flavor top notes to beers, seltzers, NA beverages, and more. Crafting an inventive IPA or a THC drink? Our BrewGas Series will infuse any beverage with true-to-type “dank” cannabis flavors with no cannabinoids like THC or CBD. Simply add “Natural Flavors” to your label, and you’re good to go.

Want varietal-specific hop flavors and aromas? Add “Hops Oil” to your ingredient list with our hop-derived Quantum Series. These extracts deliver the finest aromatics that authentically reflect hops like no other hop extractions can. 

Want hop flavor with additional sustainability benefits? Omni Hop Profiles are a true living record of specific hop samples that can be recreated forever. Not only are they sourced from sustainable botanicals, but things like seasonal flavor drift or industry shortages won’t impact our ability to recreate these profiles.

Additionally, we recognize that creating a successful, consumer-friendly product sometimes means formulating flavors that have never been seen before. Contact us today, and let’s create the best-tasting clean label beverages with flavors your customers will love.

1. Clean Label Products Driving Retail Sales as They Gain Preference Among Consumers. Acosta Group. (2024, March 5). https://www.acosta.group/clean-label-products-driving-retail-sales-as-they-gain-preference-among-consumers/
2. Southey, F. (2022, August 4). How is Clean Label Evolving? Mintel Talks Regulation, Processing, and Linking “Clean with Green.” foodnavigator.com. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2022/08/04/How-is-the-clean-label-trend-evolving-Mintel
3. Alverson, C. (2024, June 17). Consumer Trends Continue to Prioritize Clean Label, Non-GMO Beverages. Beverage Industry RSS. https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/96687-consumer-trends-continue-to-prioritize-clean-label-non-gmo-beverages
4. Sabetta, L. (2024, September 5). Sweetener Solutions Satisfy Consumer Tastes. Beverage Industry RSS. https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/96862-sweetener-solutions-satisfy-consumer-tastes