If it seems as though what’s not in a product these days is as important as what is—you’re not imagining things. The insistence on “clean” and “simple” ingredients that began with a fringe of vigilant label readers has pervaded the marketplace.
In the mid-2000s, the movement began gaining momentum, recalls Mel Festejo, COO, American Key Food Products, Closter, NJ. He points to the decision among two major U.K. retailers to publish lists of unwelcome ingredients by 2007 as a turning point—and Whole Foods Market released its list in the U.S. soon thereafter, cementing its reputation as a leader in the American clean-label movement