Clean-label trends grow as health and wellness priorities rise

January is a peak period for health-focused behaviors as consumers reset exercise routines and rethink food and drink choices, often prioritising healthier options while reducing consumption of products they view as indulgent or “unhealthy.” Amid “new year, new me” resolutions, one trend that is gaining momentum is clean label, according to GlobalData.

Eve Forshaw, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Clean-label foods emphasise simplicity and transparency – they use familiar, recognisable ingredients, provide clear, easy-to-read labels, and rely on minimal processing.”

Health and wellness priorities shape consumption

Consumer interest in clean-label products reflects a broader shift toward more mindful eating. With so many options available, many shoppers are choosing (or aiming to choose) moderation and selective avoidance to support their wellbeing, while still leaving room for indulgence.

GlobalData’s 2025 Q3^* global consumer survey highlights how strongly health concerns shape purchasing decisions, with two-thirds (66 %) of consumers confirming that “how the product impacts my health and wellbeing” always or often influences what they buy, and three-quarters (77 %) of shoppers affirming that simple ingredients are an essential or nice-to-have product feature. These sentiments point to a clear demand for products that feel healthier and more straightforward, positioning clean-label formulations as an ideal way to meet expectations.

Consumers pay attention to ingredients

Clean label also appeals to shoppers who find it difficult to assess which product formulations are actually healthy. GlobalData’s 2025 Q1 survey found that 69 % of global consumers pay high or very high attention to the ingredients in the food and drinks they consume, yet nearly half (48 %) agree or strongly agree that knowing which foods and drinks are healthy for them is confusing. In an environment of information overload, often with conflicting nutritional messages, clean-label products with short, familiar ingredient lists can feel like a practical shopping solution.

Marks & Spencer leverages the trend

UK retailer Marks & Spencer has tapped into this trend, kickstarting 2026 by expanding its “Only Ingredients” range. The products only use recognisable ingredients, helping shoppers to understand what they are buying. For example, its “Only Three Ingredients” British Beef Burgers are made of beef, sea salt, and cracked black pepper, while its “Only One Ingredient” Cornflakes use only corn. The products’ on-pack ingredient lists reinforce simplicity, healthier choices, and the absence of additives or artificial ingredients.

Pricing issues act as a barrier to wider adoption

Clean-label formulations often come with pricing challenges due to the use of more natural or organic ingredients, and removal of artificial additives. However, GlobalData’s 2025 Q3 global survey reveals that 83 % of consumers consider “low price” an essential or nice-to-have product feature, and in response to rising prices, some consumers are no longer buying certain products because they are too expensive, while others are switching to cheaper alternatives. Clean-label products cannot rely on health credentials alone; they must also offer consumers good value.

Forshaw concludes: “Clean label aligns with key consumer priorities: healthier lifestyles, ingredient simplicity, and ingredient transparency. Survey data shows strong demand for easy-to-understand formulations, and retailers such as Marks & Spencer are already leveraging this into clear product propositions. Yet premium pricing risks limiting adoption when many shoppers are managing the cost of living by trading down or cutting back. Brands that can balance clean-label credibility with accessible price points are best-positioned to convert this trend into sustained growth and make clean label a regular shopping option for their consumers.”

^*GlobalData 2025 Q1/Q3 global consumer survey, 21,000 respondents across 42 countries.