A new ingredients-focused shopper study from Acosta Group underscores the growing importance of transparency in food, beverage and beauty purchasing decisions. Reflecting Acosta Group's 2026 Predictions, the research highlights how personalization, transparency and trust are shaping wellness-driven consumer behavior. The study, released ahead of Expo West, was conducted with Acosta Group's proprietary US Shopper community.

"Label reading is becoming a routine part of shopper decision-making," said Mark Rahiya, group president of omnichannel sales and services, Acosta Group. "Consumers are actively seeking ingredients that support specific health goals. That creates an opportunity for natural and organic brands to connect through transparency and clearly communicated benefits."

Ingredients Influence Purchasing Decisions

Two-thirds of omni shoppers have a balanced or flexible approach to food and nutrition, selecting both healthy and indulgent foods for their grocery carts based on product availability, taste, occasion and mood.

A significant percentage of all consumers, however, are selecting products that support health and wellness:

- 35% of all shoppers define themselves as "health aware," or trying to eat healthy most of the time but enjoying occasional indulgences
- 15% of Gen Z and 21% of Millennials define themselves as "health focused," or actively seeking nutritious foods, avoiding processed foods and prioritizing health in nearly every food choice, regardless of price

"We learned that 58% of all shoppers are reading labels all or most of the time prior to purchasing a new item," said Kathy Risch, SVP thought leadership and shopper insights, Acosta Group. "That number jumps to 87% for health-focused shoppers. That's a clear message to brand owners, confirming that ingredient transparency is key to purchasing decisions."

And label reading is on the rise, with 40% of health-focused shoppers and 39% of Gen Z saying they're reading labels more often than they were six months earlier, specifically those who are seeking out nutritious non-processed foods.

For consumers with specific health goals, whether weight management, digestion, allergy-free or increased energy levels, ingredient transparency is critical. Over 25% of US shoppers have someone in their household with an allergy or sensitivity to ingredients in foods, beverages, or beauty products, and 76% of these shoppers are reading labels all or most of the time. These shoppers called out natural and specialty stores as the highest-rated for assortment selection.

Rising Concerns About Food Ingredients

Consumers report that they are worried about health risks from artificial ingredients, chemicals, and/or preservatives in foods.   

- 50% of all shoppers
- 79% of health-focused shoppers
- 63% of natural channel shoppers

According to this new study, nearly half of all shoppers are aware of national initiatives related to ingredients and product safety, and 58% support efforts to ban synthetic food dyes and certain sweeteners, transition to natural alternatives, and standardize regulations across states.  

Notably, nearly 62% of all shoppers believe that more food product safety regulation is required, with 71% supporting US efforts to meet Europe's stricter standards on artificial ingredients.  

Beauty: Clean Label Or Efficacy?

In the categories of beauty and personal care items, consumers are less inclined to select products based only on ingredients, taking a balanced approach in choosing products that feature natural ingredients as well as those that claim clinically proven results.   

That balance continues specific to skin care. With price being constant, 42% of shoppers are choosing natural, "clean beauty" products (51% of Gen Z), and 39% of shoppers are selecting results-focused products that contain FDA approved synthetic peptides and preservatives with clinically proven effectiveness.

Ingredient transparency matters for those seeking natural ingredients in beauty and personal care items, with 59% reading labels all or most of the time. This cohort is also reading labels more than they had six months prior. Conversely, 47% of results-focused shoppers say they rarely or never read labels.

Product safety regulation is of interest to all beauty and personal care shoppers with 45% supporting more regulation, reminding brands that consumers care about this issue.   

Shopper research for this study was conducted Sept. 9-14, 2025, with 1,083 members of Acosta Group's proprietary Shopper Community. The Shopper Community is comprised of over 40,000 demographically diverse shoppers across the US and is the company's proprietary community for survey engagement.