Green Consumers Skeptical of 'Natural' Product Labeling

December 23, 2010

Eco-consumers are as committed as ever to shopping organic in 2011, but they don’t trust natural product labeling, according to a survey by Mambo Sprouts Marketing, a leader in natural and organic product marketing and promotions.

The company surveyed the organic buying habits of 1,000 natural products consumers and found that they were not confident that products labeled natural truly held up to the word.

One in three (34 percent) were either "not very" or "not at all" confident in current natural labeling. Two in three (65 percent) were very interested in a uniform standard to certify natural products -- including ingredients and processes -- that are labeled as natural. Another 25 percent were somewhat interested.

Notably, natural and organic consumers were most likely to prefer natural labeling certification by an independent, non-profit organization (33 percent) and/or a government standard (27 percent). Respondents were less interested in an industry/company supported standard (23 percent) or retailer certification (18 percent).

Consumers also remain committed to health and wellness and the outlook for organics remains strong, the study revealed. Store brand/private label organics are now mainstream with virtually all (96 percent) consumers buying these products; 57 percent plan to maintain current purchasing level and 39 percent will increase spending for these products in 2011.

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Keywords: natural product labeling, research

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