Marketing Food as ‘Clean’ Should End

Marketing food and beverages as ‘clean’ has never sat well with me. It sparks a lot of questions with inconsistent and conflicting answers: what is and isn’t clean, who decided and how? At a time when consumers demand transparency, honesty and integrity in their food and the companies making it, ‘clean’ does not meet these expectations.

There’s a lot of media attention and consumer enthusiasm, evangelizing the unscientifically proven health benefits of ‘clean’ eating. The other week I read three unrelated articles collectively advocating for the expansion of ‘clean’ food, but also providing contradictory perspectives and information. And it’s not the first or second (or third) time this has happened. Without credible resources, using ‘clean’ to promote or characterize food feels like spin and complicates our ability as marketers to connect with people.

According to Nielsen, 93% of US households report buying a ‘clean’-labeled product (in whatever way respondents define the word). To kick-off this article, I conducted a totally unscientific survey among Facebook friends to get some quick perspective. Twenty-three people responded and provided 41 distinct attributes of ‘clean’ food. However, many of them centered on five themes, in order of priority: no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives; ingredients commonly recognized by people; only a few ingredients in an item; strictly organic; and no genetically modified organisms (GMO). To provide some authoritative context, the Mayo Clinic defines clean eating as consuming “fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats — and limit highly processed snack foods, sweets and other packaged foods.” By contract, Clean Label Project, a non-profit and self-described “consumer standard for food and consumer product quality and safety,” assesses levels of heavy metals, pesticides and plasticizers in products to determine cleanliness. A well-defined and narrow focus that allows for any foodstuff to potentially be considered ‘clean,’ right? Not according to a 2019 study of 2,100 consumers by Kerry, the taste and nutrition company, who defined ‘clean’ food as “real and functional ingredients, no added sugar, all natural, free from additives and preservatives and organic.” While all of the attributes from these four sources may feel like they intersect and relate, there are also contradictions and personal interpretations that undermine the word’s intent.

‘Clean’ is so broad that its definition has become diluted and therefore, meaningless.

Let me quickly illustrate my point with a few commonly accepted ‘clean’ foods. As you read the below list, please consider the impact you would have promoting all of these products as ‘clean’ without having to qualify your meaning. Or, is there a better way?

• An apple is a whole food with virtually zero processing, a single ingredient that can be organic.
• My favorite chocolate almond snack bar has natural flavors and ‘real’ ingredients, an undisclosed amount of added sugar, several unrecognizable words and 14 ingredients.
• A popular plant-based burger includes an unrecognizable and pronounceable chemical, nothing organic and 18 ingredients.

‘Clean eating’ first appeared in 2007, defined as avoiding all “over-refined and processed” foods. It started in revolt against packaged foods filled with dubious ingredients (some linked to causing diseases) and poor nutrition quality. But today, its definition has vastly expanded to include countless foods and a lengthy list of must-have and nice-to-have attributes that further erodes the word’s marketing effectiveness. As evidenced by the Nielsen data point previously cited, ‘clean’ is mainstream.

Our job as marketing leaders is to build lasting relationships with customers. We identify a critical insight about our target audiences, develop an authentic, compelling story and engage them through creative executions. ‘Clean’ had its moment, but it’s time to leave it behind and challenge ourselves to develop original and ownable marketing platforms. Who’s with me?!