Get the latest delivered to your inbox
Privacy Policy

Now Reading

Consumers Rank Ingredient Transparency Among Most Important Issues For Brands

Study finds large majority of consumers say "ingredient transparency" among top purchase drivers for food, beauty and household products, yet only 57% regularly check the list of ingredients before purchasing

Consumers Rank Ingredient Transparency Among Most Important Issues For Brands

Study finds large majority of consumers say "ingredient transparency" among top purchase drivers for food, beauty and household products, yet only 57% regularly check the list of ingredients before purchasing

Published 04-25-13

Submitted by BBMG

A study by BBMG, GlobeScan and SustainAbility finds that nearly 9 in 10 consumers globally (86%) say "ingredient transparency is extremely important or very important" for companies to address as part of their products, services, or operations, including 88% of consumers in emerging markets and 84% of consumers in developed markets. However, only 57% regularly “check the list of ingredients before purchasing” products, highlighting the gap between interest and action in sustainable consumption.

According to the report – Re:Thinking Consumption: Consumers and the Future of Sustainability – ingredient transparency is also a “very important” or “important” factor in purchase decisions across key categories, such as food and beverage (82%), beauty and personal care (82%), and household products (82%). The study draws from an online survey of 6,224 consumers across Brazil, China, India, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Many consumers globally believe they have the right to know what products are made of and they want companies to ensure their products are safe and effective,” said Eric Whan, Sustainability Director at GlobeScan. “However, there’s a gap between interest and action when it comes to actually reading the list of ingredients on product packaging.”

"The overwhelming majority of consumers identifies ingredient transparency as an important consideration in making purchase decisions for food, beauty and household products," said Raphael Bemporad, co-founder of brand innovation consultancy BBMG. “Across multiple markets and product categories, consumers are expressing interest in what goes in, on and around their bodies.”

Re:Thinking Consumption Report – Key Findings:

Food and Beverage:

  • Ingredient Transparency: More than 8 in 10 consumers globally say that “ingredient transparency is a very important or important factor” (82%) when shopping for food and beverage products, including 86% of consumers in emerging markets and 78% in developed markets.
  • Non-GMOs: Additionally, nearly two-thirds of consumers seek food and beverage products “made with no genetically modified organisms” (64%) while making purchase decisions, including 78% in emerging markets and 52% in developed markets.
  • Natural Ingredients: Eighty percent of consumers polled from six different countries consider it "very important or important" that their food and beverage purchases are "made with natural ingredients," including 88% of consumers in emerging markets and 72% in developed markets.

Beauty and Personal Care:

  • Ingredient Transparency: More than 8 in 10 consumers globally 82%) say that ingredient transparency is a “very important or important” factor when shopping for beauty and personal care products, including 88% in emerging markets and 76% in developed markets.
  • No Harsh Chemicals or Toxins: Additionally, 87% of consumers say “uses no harsh chemicals or toxins” drives their product purchases in the beauty and personal care category, including 91% in emerging markets and 82% in developed markets.

Household Products:

  • Ingredient Transparency: A total of 82% of consumers seek “ingredient transparency” when purchasing household goods, including 87% in emerging markets and 77% in developed markets.
  • No Harsh Chemicals or Toxins: The majority (85%) of consumers globally consider “made with no harsh chemicals or toxins” to be a very important or important qualification when purchasing household care products, including 89% in emerging markets and 81% in developed markets.

Box Turners:

  • Checking the List of Ingredients: Nearly 6 in 10 consumers (57%) say they “checked the list of ingredients before purchasing” products either all of the time or most of the time during the last year, including 65% in emerging markets and 49% in developed markets.

Background and Methodology:

Developed by BBMG, GlobeScan and SustainAbility, The Regeneration Consumer Study is an in-depth online survey of consumer attitudes, motivations and behaviors relating to sustainable consumption among 6,224 respondents across six major international markets (Brazil, China, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States) conducted in September and October 2012. Drawn from consumer research panels, global dataare comparable to having a margin of error of +/- 1.3 percent. Analysis of country-level data reflects a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

The study is part of the The Regeneration Roadmap, a collaborative and multi-faceted thought leadership initiative designed to engage the private sector in advancing sustainable development by improving sustainability strategy, increasing credibility and delivering results at greater speed and scale.

Presenting Sponsors of The Regeneration Roadmap are BMW Group and SC Johnson. Sponsors include Cisco, DuPont, Interface and Pfizer. The Regeneration Consumer Study is sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, Itau, L’Oréal, Shell and Starbucks. For more information, and to download a free copy of the study, visit TheRegenerationRoadmap.com.

About BBMG: Based in New York City, BBMG is a brand innovation consultancy dedicated to creating disruptive business solutions and delightful brand experiences to help organizations achieve business success and positive social impact. By integrating branding with sustainability expertise and innovation protocols, BBMG helps clients identify growth opportunities, forge new markets, create new brands and drive real culture change. Recent clients include NBCUniversal, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Walmart, Samsung, Seventh Generation and Earthbound Farm. For more information, visit www.bbmg.com.

About GlobeScan: For 25 years, GlobeScan has helped clients measure and build value-generating relationships with their stakeholders. Uniquely placed at the nexus of reputation, brand and sustainability, we partner with clients to build trust, drive engagement and inspire innovation within, around, and beyond their organizations. For more information, visit www.GlobeScan.com.

About SustainAbility: SustainAbility is a think tank and strategic advisory firm working to inspire transformative business leadership on the sustainability agenda. Established in 1987, SustainAbility delivers illuminating foresight and actionable insight on sustainable development trends and issues. For more information, visit www.SustainAbility.com.

BBMG logo

BBMG

BBMG

BBMG is a brand and social innovation consultancy dedicated to creating business growth and positive social impact. We’re strategic creatives and creative strategists, culture experts and design thinkers. We build brands with purpose that are relevant to a new generation and resilient for the fast, transparent and volatile world we live in today. To learn more about how we build brands for humans, visit www.bbmg.com.

More from BBMG

Join today and get the latest delivered to your inbox