Three key takeaways:
- Clean label in bakery has shifted from ingredient simplicity to a broader debate about processing, synthetic colors, and consumer trust.
- US regulatory pressure on artificial colors is accelerating reformulation, with seasonal bakery products likely to face the greatest disruption.
- Successful clean label strategies in 2026 will depend on balancing shelf life, sensory quality, and clear communication with increasingly skeptical shoppers.
‘Clean label’ began more than 15 years ago as a push to remove artificial ingredients and highlight natural and organic foods. Over time, it evolved to reflect broader shopper concerns about processing, transparency and environmental issues, including packaging.
Interpretations still vary widely. In Europe, clean label has largely meant shorter, more familiar ingredient lists and the removal of E-numbers. In the US, the emphasis has traditionally been on artificial colors.
So what should the term mean today?
“There is no single, universally accepted definition of clean label,” says Stephanie Mattucci, principal strategist at Mintel. “But it is widely understood as products made with familiar ingredients and free from artificial additives.”
In the 2026 IFT Consumer Trends Survey, consumers ranked health and wellness as the second most important factor expected to influence purchase decisions this year. When respondents were asked what they would worry about in 2026, artificial ingredients and additives ranked second, closely followed by ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
“Consumers’ concerns about how their food is made and what ingredients are used are important to address,” Mattucci explains. “This is especially true given that 58% of US consumers who eat bread think packaged bread contains too many preservatives, and 55% agree it is hard to know which breads are a healthy choice.”
Shoppers increasingly appear to associate clean label with UPFs, particularly in bakery and snacks. Mattucci sees the current debate around UPFs as a continuation of the clean label movement.
“Until more processing information is made available, consumers will be limited to making decisions based on what they can see at the shelf – ingredient declarations and nutrition statements,” she says.
Synthetic colors in the spotlight
While processing levels are not yet firmly on policymakers’ agendas, synthetic colors certainly are. In April last year, two US federal agencies announced a series of steps intended to eliminate all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026.
Announcing the measures, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr spoke in stark terms. “These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development. That era is coming to an end.”
Bakery bites back
How has the industry responded? Renee Leber, food scientist and technical services manager at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), told this site that companies across the US are reformulating to remove synthetic colors, with many more committing to do so.
“While transitioning away from synthetic color usage is a major focus across the food industry, I’ve seen companies use this change to make broader formulation updates,” Leber says. “That allows them to push through multiple desired reformulations at once, with some using the opportunity to move products toward a clean label position.”
Major retailers in the US and Europe are also increasingly setting ingredient standards or publishing ‘free-from’ lists that effectively define clean label expectations at shelf level. For bakery manufacturers, meeting those standards can be the difference between national distribution and limited placement. Complicating matters further, an ingredient considered acceptable in one market may be restricted or require different labeling in another.
Leber believes it will take time for companies to work through reformulations and reach the point where they feel confident launching updated products and gauging consumer response.
“We’ve seen a range of approaches,” she says. “Some products have stayed very similar in color by using naturally sourced colorants. Others have accepted a visible color change but still rely on naturally derived options to achieve the new appearance.
“Where visual changes do occur, companies are increasingly acknowledging the difference while emphasizing the cleaner formulation.”
In the US, Mattucci warns that seasonal products are likely to be disproportionately affected by artificial color changes. Over the past five years, US food and drink launches carrying a seasonal claim were five times more likely to use artificial colors than non-seasonal launches.
“A similar pattern exists in bakery,” she says. “46% of US seasonal bakery launches contained an artificial color, compared with just 10% of non-seasonal launches. I expect to see more innovation in packaging, shapes, and even textures to keep seasonal products exciting without relying on artificial colors.”
Tradeoffs and tough choices
Making baked goods clean label is not straightforward. Reformulation often involves tradeoffs in texture, taste and shelf life. To navigate these challenges, Leber advises brands to work closely with suppliers and evaluate solutions that align with evolving consumer expectations, particularly as new naturally derived ingredients and preservatives come to market.
“Staying grounded in consumer needs helps guide which changes make sense and which tradeoffs are acceptable,” she says.
Ultimately, Leber believes success will depend on how well companies listen to their shoppers and respond to purchasing behavior.
“Companies will need to remain adaptable to that feedback,” she adds.
2025 US food policy and the American Bakers Association
We asked Rasma Zvaners, ABA’s VP of Government Relations, to update readers on recent US legislative developments and the industry’s response.
In 2025, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement gained momentum, with a focus on voluntary removal of FD&C certified colors, public consultation on how to define UPFs and renewed discussion around post-market assessments of food ingredients.
At the same time, food policy activity accelerated at the state level, particularly around ingredient bans and SNAP restrictions. Nearly 100 state bills targeting various ingredients were introduced. Of those that passed, three were consequential for ABA members: California AB 1264, Texas SB 25 and Louisiana SB 14. To date, USDA has approved 18 state SNAP food restriction waivers, though only Florida and Missouri reference prepared desserts.
Efforts to remove FD&C certified colors have largely focused on school meal programs at the state level. The ABA and the commercial baking industry have taken a proactive approach through a series of voluntary commitments.
Most recently, ABA introduced three pledges designed to continue delivering baked goods that meet evolving consumer expectations while honoring tradition and supporting communities.
The Baked Goods in Schools Pledge commits the industry to eliminating certified FD&C colors from baked goods served through K-12 school meal programs by the start of the 2026-2027 school year. At least 96% of ABA member companies serving schools are already positioned to meet that goal.
The Baked Goods FD&C Colors Pledge extends that commitment beyond schools, creating a nationwide pledge to eliminate certified FD&C colors from baked goods across the US by December 31, 2028. More than 90% of ABA member companies have already committed.
Finally, the Baked Goods Ingredient Pledge commits participating members to completing the phaseout of potassium bromate in baked goods across the US by December 31, 2026, building on the fact that the overwhelming majority of ABA members already do not use the ingredient.
