It’s true; becoming a mom changes you. For one, I care more about what I put on my shelves, in my refrigerator and on my family’s dinner table. I constantly find myself looking at labels to make sure I can pronounce and understand the ingredients in the products I buy. I’m looking for “simple” products, because somehow—at least in my mind—that means my life will be simpler too. This is why I am fully hooked on the “natural” trend and actively seek out these products in the marketplace.
 
I’m the type of consumer who can’t make the full commitment to organic (or shopping at “Whole Paycheck,” i.e, Whole Foods), but I can find a way to make most of my purchases “natural”—even if the definition of natural means different things to different brands. Let’s face it: the term natural is more accessible, more mainstream. And, most “natural” labeled products are cheaper compared to organic fare.
 
A February 2011 Packaged Facts consumer survey found that 38% of U.S. grocery shoppers buy organic groceries, and 58% buy packaged food products marketed as “all-natural” (but not organic). Furthermore, the Packaged Facts survey found that 37% of all respondents “strongly” (12%) or “somewhat” (25%) agree that they seek out natural and organic foods and beverages.
 
This is why the trend toward natural will be such a monstrous driver in many product segments—from beverages to food to cleaning products to pet food—during the next several years. For foods and beverages in particular, 2011 will be a pivotal year, according to Packaged Facts, which predicted natural and organic offerings would grow 45% this year, and 103% between now and 2015.
 
The biggest changes will come from the major food and beverage giants overhauling their product portfolios to meet this rapidly growing consumer demand, a trend that has already proliferated big time in the mainstream market. “At the beginning of 2011, Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion snack food division of PepsiCo, announced that by the end of the year, approximately half of its product portfolio would be made with all-natural ingredients,” Packaged Facts said in its latest report. “The change will affect three of Frito-Lay’s biggest brands: Lay’s potato chips, Tostitos tortilla chips and SunChips multigrain snacks.”
 
“The Frito-Lay products will in themselves have an enormous impact on the natural foods marketplace, and Frito-Lay’s move will spur other manufacturers to invest more heavily in producing natural and organic products,” said David Sprinkle, research director and publisher of Packaged Facts. “Since Frito-Lay’s announcement, Kraft Foods and Coca-Cola have made strategic moves to better position themselves in the market.”
 
In an interview for this issue’s nutraceutical beverage article (page 34), Mintel beverage analyst Garima Goel Lal brought up an interesting point about the convergence of natural and functional. She believes “functional” foods and beverages in the future won’t resonate with consumers unless they’re natural first. She said consumers are interested in these products because they care about their health, so what’s the point of purchasing a functional food or beverage if it isn’t natural?
 
But do I always practice what I preach? No. And I know I am not alone. There are millions of families—just like mine—who strive to “do the right thing” most of the time, even if it means slipping here and there to buy the Cheetos loaded with Yellow No. 6 and other artificial ingredients. You gotta live a little.