What is a Clean Ingredient Deck

Before answering that question, we first need to define what is meant by the term “ingredient deck”. In food manufacturing an "ingredient deck" refers to the list of ingredients contained in a product. In some jurisdictions, it may also be known as a nutritional label. The ingredient deck is typically found on the packaging and is meant to provide consumers with information about what is inside the product, understand the primary ingredients, and help them assess any dietary preferences.

A clean ingredient deck typically includes familiar ingredients that are thought to be healthy and are often found in the average home. These might include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. However, for modern consumers, the inclusion of healthy ingredients alone may not be enough to classify an ingredient list as “clean”. As today’s consumers have become more aware of their personal health, there has been an increased demand for healthier foods. This has resulted in a higher standard for what products food manufacturers market as “clean”.

Clean versus Simple - The Same, but Different

Creating a product using simple, healthy ingredients may not always result in what a consumer considers to be a “clean” ingredient deck. This is because the origin of the ingredients used combined with how a product is formulated can influence the nutritional value of the final product. This increased demand for transparency is sometimes credited for the delineation between a “simple” ingredient deck and a “clean” ingredient deck.

A Simple ingredient deck may look like this:

• Contains fruits, nuts, vegetables, or whole grains. The food manufacturer has made an effort to use ingredients recognized as healthy, common, and familiar.

• Minimal ingredient list

• Ingredients are easy to pronounce and contain few if any chemicals or artificial preservatives and sweeteners.

A Clean ingredient deck may look like this:

• Contains fair-trade, organic, or naturally sourced fruits, nuts, vegetables, or whole grains. The food manufacturer has used healthy ingredients and is transparent about where/how they were sourced.

• The ingredient list emphasizes transparency. For example, an ingredient list containing “coconut blend” may be listed this way; Coconut Blend (Organic Coconut Milk, Coconut Oil, Coconut Juice Powder).

• If the product requires sweeteners, stabilizers, or thickeners, natural sources are used. Additionally, these ingredients are listed individually. For example; natural sweeteners may include organic cane juice and/or organic brown rice syrup. Natural thickeners and stabilizers may include pea protein and/or xanthan powder.

• Provides a healthy balance of macro-nutrients.

• May contain information on environmental impacts such as sustainability, climate, and animal safety.

Both “simple and “clean” ingredient lists are markers of healthier foods. The primary separator between the two is that a “clean” ingredient deck offers more transparency and may indicate a food manufacturer more dedicated to producing better quality food. Therefore, when a product is marketed as being “clean”, consumers will assume it meets certain standards such as ingredient quality, organic production, no chemicals or preservatives, healthy fats, and ideally in alignment with some healthy lifestyle guidelines (ie: gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, etc).

Similarly, in personal care products like skincare and cosmetics, “clean” ingredient deck might emphasize organic ingredients, no animal testing, and being free from chemicals, parabens, and synthetic fragrances.

Although what a manufacturer considers to be a "clean" product can be subjective, what consumers personally believe to be healthy will ultimately determine what they view as a “clean” product. As their demands become more sophisticated, so will the need for greater transparency on the part of manufacturers.