Asian consumers are even more likely to weigh up food labels than their American and European counterparts before deciding which products to buy. More often than not, clean label will get the nod.

Consumers everywhere are generally paying closer attention than ever to what they eat, with more than half of all Europeans and 64% of americans take a critical look at labeling when shopping.

In Asia, though, this number is much higher, with 84% claiming to weigh up the label, GNT Group, the colouring major, has found after surveying 5,000 consumers from 10 countries spanning Asia, the Americas and Europe on their shopping and eating habits.

Craving for clean labelling

According to the study, 68% of all consumers globally said they would usually choose healthier options, if such options were easy to find based on the clarity of information on their labels.

In China, Indonesia and Thailand, however, this sentiment applied to 73% of respondents.

Out of these, nearly two-thirds of global consumers will reject the presence of artificial colours, whereas in Asia, that number rises to 74%.

“The results show that natural ingredients are becoming more important all around the globe,” said Hendrik Hoeck, GNT’s managing director.

To make the cut, labels should show clearly that a product’s food colours come only from natural raw materials, which is clearly indicated on the label.

“The development will continue to gather momentum in the upcoming years,” said Dr Hoeck