Half of U.S. Shoppers Worried About Artificial Ingredients in Food, Acosta Group Finds

"Label reading is becoming a routine part of shopper decision-making," said Mark Rahiya, Group President of Omnichannel Sales and Services, Acosta Group. "Consumers are actively seeking ingredients that support specific health goals. That creates an opportunity for natural and organic brands to connect through transparency and clearly communicated benefits."

INGREDIENTS INFLUENCE PURCHASING DECISIONS
Two-thirds of omni shoppers have a balanced or flexible approach to food and nutrition, selecting both healthy and indulgent foods for their grocery carts based on product availability, taste, occasion and mood.

A significant percentage of all consumers, however, are selecting products that support health and wellness:

• 35% of all shoppers define themselves as "health aware," or trying to eat healthy most of the time but enjoying occasional indulgences
• 15% of Gen Z and 21% of Millennials define themselves as "health focused," or actively seeking nutritious foods, avoiding processed foods and prioritizing health in nearly every food choice, regardless of price

"We learned that 58% of all shoppers are reading labels all or most of the time prior to purchasing a new item," said Kathy Risch, SVP Thought Leadership and Shopper Insights, Acosta Group. "That number jumps to 87% for health-focused shoppers. That's a clear message to brand owners, confirming that ingredient transparency is key to purchasing decisions."

And label reading is on the rise, with 40% of health-focused shoppers and 39% of Gen Z saying they're reading labels more often than they were six months earlier, specifically those who are seeking out nutritious non-processed foods.

For consumers with specific health goals, whether weight management, digestion, allergy-free or increased energy levels, ingredient transparency is critical. Over 25% of U.S. shoppers have someone in their household with an allergy or sensitivity to ingredients in foods, beverages, or beauty products, and 76% of these shoppers are reading labels all or most of the time. These shoppers called out natural and specialty stores as the highest-rated for assortment selection.

RISING CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD INGREDIENTS
Consumers report that they are worried about health risks from artificial ingredients, chemicals, and/or preservatives in foods.   

• 50% of all shoppers
• 79% of health-focused shoppers
• 63% of natural channel shoppers

According to this new study, nearly half of all shoppers are aware of national initiatives related to ingredients and product safety, and 58% support efforts to ban synthetic food dyes and certain sweeteners, transition to natural alternatives, and standardize regulations across states.  

Notably, nearly 62% of all shoppers believe that more food product safety regulation is required, with 71% supporting U.S. efforts to meet Europe's stricter standards on artificial ingredients.  

BEAUTY: CLEAN LABEL OR EFFICACY?
In the categories of beauty and personal care items, consumers are less inclined to select products based only on ingredients, taking a balanced approach in choosing products that feature natural ingredients as well as those that claim clinically proven results.   

That balance continues specific to skin care. With price being constant, 42% of shoppers are choosing natural, "clean beauty" products (51% of Gen Z), and 39% of shoppers are selecting results-focused products that contain FDA approved synthetic peptides and preservatives with clinically proven effectiveness.

Ingredient transparency matters for those seeking natural ingredients in beauty and personal care items, with 59% reading labels all or most of the time. This cohort is also reading labels more than they had six months prior. Conversely, 47% of results-focused shoppers say they rarely or never read labels.

Product safety regulation is of interest to all beauty and personal care shoppers with 45% supporting more regulation, reminding brands that consumers care about this issue.   

Shopper research for this study was conducted Sept. 9-14, 2025, with 1,083 members of Acosta Group's proprietary Shopper Community. The Shopper Community is comprised of over 40,000 demographically diverse shoppers across the U.S. and is the company's proprietary community for survey engagement.

Acosta Group Omnichannel Sales and Services includes Acosta sales agency and its natural foods division, Impact Natural, and CROSSMARK sales agency.     

ACOSTA GROUP AT EXPO WEST
Tuesday, March 3, Cody Tusberg, EVP Connected Commerce, and Kathy Risch, SVP Thought Leadership and Shopper Insights, Acosta Group, lead an executive workshop for the CPG Innovation Summit

• 10:30-11:30 am, Marriott, Orange County Ballroom 1
• "Acosta Group 2026 Consumer Predictions: Insights to Action" An executive workshop with
  two interactive breakout sessions: AI as the New Shopper; Holistic Value Stress Test

Wednesday, March 4, Ashley Roehm, president, Acosta sales agency, introduces the opening keynote for Expo West 2026: "The State of Natural and Organic"

• 8:30-10 am, Marriott Marquis Ballroom Center

Thursday, March 5, Kathy Risch, SVP Thought Leadership and Shopper Insights, Acosta Group, and Vik Dudheker, Director, NielsenIQ, present, "Beyond the Label: Balancing Ingredient Integrity with Product Performance"

• 9-10 am, Marriott, Orange County Ballroom 3

ABOUT ACOSTA GROUP
Acosta Group is a collective of the most trusted retail, marketing and foodservice agencies empowering brands and retailers to win in the modern marketplace. By delivering transformative, commerce-focused solutions and more than 98 years of expertise, Acosta Group connects the company's partners with people at every point in the consumer journey.

Comprised of Acosta, ActionLink, ADW, CORE Foodservice, CROSSMARK, Mosaic, Premium Retail Services, and Product Connections, Acosta Group understands and anticipates evolving consumer needs, fueling accelerated performance to connect tomorrow's commerce today. For more information, please visit acosta.group

SOURCE Acosta Group