This month, UK retailer Marks & Spencer did something clever.
They launched a range called “Just X Ingredients” … the “X” reflecting the exact number of ingredients in the product.
For example: Just 3 Ingredients Beef Burgers= beef, salt, and pepper.
Smart move. Clean labels are predicted to be a major food trend this year, and consumers are increasingly looking for simplicity and transparency.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
In the UK, for example, most flour (except from small mills) must have folic acid added. So if a product says “Just 3 Ingredients,” will that include mandatory fortification? Will processing aids and additives be clearly listed? Or does this become another carefully framed marketing message?
Will this trend encourage more people to actually read labels?
Or will shoppers become even more passive, trusting food companies to define what “simple” means?
I cook most of my meals from scratch, and ideally we all would, but that’s not reality for many families. And I can’t shake the feeling that some companies may treat this like any other advertising campaign: polished, persuasive… and only partially transparent.
Is this happening in your state or local supermarkets yet?