More Americans are scrutinizing ingredients before buying food

A new national survey has found that what goes into your food may be changing what goes into your shopping cart. According to FoodMinds, 54% of shoppers have started buying, or are buying more of, certain foods because they seem less processed, have fewer additives or contain ingredients they prefer. "Americans are using ingredients and perceptions of processing to help decide what belongs in their shopping carts," said Lauren Hoffman, MBA, RD, Senior Vice President at FoodMinds. "For food companies, understanding those perceptions is essential to communicating nutrition science in ways that address consumers' questions and concerns." Price, however, remains a major hurdle. RELATED STORY | AI is changing how consumers shop, but bad recommendations could cost brands Six in 10 people say healthy, sustainable foods are too expensive, and 58% believe affordable foods are often the most processed. Shoppers also want more transparency, with clear ingredient labels topping the list of things that could make food claims more believable. Thirty-three percent of consumers say a clear ingredient list on the package would help, followed by Nutrition Facts information showing lower added sugar, sodium or saturated fat, at 25%. "Companies can build credibility by explaining what is in their products and why and supporting nutrition claims with understandable evidence," said Andrea Carrothers, MS, RD, Senior Vice President and Group Lead at FoodMinds. "Addressing affordability alongside those efforts is essential to responding to what consumers say they need."