Acesulfame potassium. Polysorbate 80. Distilled monoglycerides. A quick check of a typical processed food label yields some tongue-twisting and head-scratching results. What are all those ingredients? And why does reading a food label make you feel like you need to whip out the periodic table?
While none of these additives sound particularly appetizing, they do serve a purpose. It’s just that, in most cases, that purpose has little to do with making food healthier. Many of those extra, mysterious additions are there to gussy up food to make it prettier, tastier, and longer-lasting. Nourishing you is almost an afterthought.
But here’s the thing. More consumers are saying no thanks. Good-bye, multi-syllabic chemicals. Hello, clean ingredients! There’s a growing demand for vegan products and other wholesome choices with short, recognizable ingredient lists that look, taste, and feel like “real” food. Here’s what to know about the clean eating boom.
What Are Additives?
Food additives are just that: ingredients added to food. And to be clear, they’re not all inherently bad. In fact, many are approved as safe in small amounts.
But overexposure to anything that doesn’t offer any healthful benefits is worrisome. And some additives trigger sensitivities and allergies. Here are some of the types of additives you’ll find in a bevy of everyday products:
- Artificial colors: Mainstay chemicals that enhance the look of candies, sodas, and even some breads.
- Preservatives: Regularly included in deli meats, snacks, and cereals to prevent spoilage.
- Artificial sweeteners: Those who eschew sugar-filled drinks and treats are getting a dose of aspartame or sucralose instead.
- Flavor enhancers: Add-ins like MSG (monosodium glutamate) boost the cravability of soups, chips, and frozen meals.
- Emulsifiers & stabilizers: They keep textures smooth in dairy items, sauces, and ice cream.
When you think about how many different grocery products contain additives, it’s easy to see they’re hard to avoid. But many consumers have started to question their necessity. After all, humans survived on clean foods for millennia before science got involved.
Natural Additives
Natural additives exist. But, they’re still additives. Salt, sugar, fats. They’re put into products for a variety of reasons. Yet the hidden baggage they bring in terms of nutrition is something worth paying attention to.
Shelf-stable baked goods (from sandwich bread to snack cakes) use preservatives to prevent mold. Sounds smart, right? But as a trade-off, those products are often chock-full of sugar and unhealthy fats.
And while natural compounds like potassium sorbate act as shelf-life extenders in bottled sauces and salad dressings, guess what? These products are usually sky-high in sodium, sugar, and fat. You might be getting a best-by date that’s further out, but you’re certainly not getting the nutritional boost that comes from eating real food.
Understanding Clean Foods
Image URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/assorted-fruits-at-the-market–gOUx23DNks
The easiest way to explain clean foods is to say that, in most cases, you know them when you see them. Prime examples include whole fruits, vegetables, and nuts. In other words, food as nature makes it. Real food.
But even with a bit of processing, producers can still maintain a food’s clean profile. Cold-pressing olive oil, grinding grain into flour, and even freezing vegetables to preserve freshness are examples. You can read the labels of these clean products without a chemistry degree, and recognize and trust what you’re buying.
Are Vegan and Organic Foods Clean?
So what’s up with vegan foods? Well, they definitely have a head start in the clean-eating department, especially if whole, plant-based ingredients are their base. Here are some comparisons of a variety of common products:
| FOOD | TRADITIONAL | VEGAN |
| Breakfast Sausage | Likely contains sodium nitrate, artificial flavor, caramel coloring, and preservatives. | Typically made and flavored with beans, vegetables, herbs, and spices. |
| Nut Butter | Starts with nuts, but then gets “enhanced” with sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and emulsifiers. | Just nuts. And maybe a pinch of salt. |
| Popcorn | Ready-to-pop bags add hydrogenated oils, artificial butter flavor, and preservatives. A buttery look is achieved with artificial colors. | Corn. Period. |
To be certain, not every vegan item is free of additives. Even plant-based products (like vegan cheeses or frozen foods) get processed, for the same reason as their traditional counterparts.
Seeing the term “organic” on a label also doesn’t guarantee that it’s entirely clean. However, any added ingredients are likely to be naturally derived, and you’ll be consuming a product that avoids unnecessary chemicals right from the start. For most shoppers, choosing nutritious organic and vegan foods puts them well on the path to eating cleanly.
Why Clean, Why Now?
Clean ingredients are trending because many people just feel healthier when they consume fewer artificial additives. But clean eating isn’t just about a mindset. For one, it aligns closely with evidence-based heart-healthy diets.
Authorities like the American Heart Association recommend loading up on whole foods and favoring minimally processed foods. Avoiding additives supports the modern movement toward dining choices that support critical health functions.
Clean eating is also part of a broader trend: a less-is-more approach to consumer choices. Today’s buyers support sustainability and actively seek out products that limit harm to the planet and its inhabitants.
Beyond the grocery store, examples can be seen in the fashion world, too, where shoppers are rejecting wasteful, and often unethical, fast fashion in favor of slow fashion. They want long-lasting, ethically sourced clothes.
And in personal care, hypoallergenic choices are gaining traction. Just like with clean eating’s rejection of additives, skincare products that eliminate harsh synthetic chemicals and parabens are favored.
The Takeaway
So let’s be real. The clean ingredient trend probably won’t push every processed food off the grocery store shelves. But it is making a lot more people stop and think about all of the additives in their foods. Once interest in cleaner products is piqued, and these products become even more prevalent, more and more consumers will be willing to give them a try.
It’s not difficult to envision simple, recognizable ingredients becoming the norm. With the consumer mindset trending toward health, well-being, and sustainability, real, additive-free food is serving up a fresh approach toward eating.