The shorter the ingredient list, the better it is Rationally looking at food ingredients

2025-01-01

In recent years, as public health awareness has increased, more and more consumers have paid attention to food ingredient information. This year, a number of issues caused by ingredient lists have attracted attention to some companies. Some people believe that the shorter the ingredient list and the fewer ingredients, the better the food, but this concept is not entirely accurate and may even mislead consumers.

First, it is meaningless to compare different types of food by the length of their ingredient lists. The length of an ingredient list usually reflects the complexity of food processing. For example, foods that have not been processed or have only been preliminarily processed have short ingredient lists, retain more natural nutrients, and are in line with the concept of healthy eating; on the contrary, deeply processed foods such as pre-prepared meals, convenience foods, and baked products require additives to extend the shelf life and improve the taste, so the ingredient lists are longer.

Secondly, consumers have different nutritional needs, and functional ingredients will increase the length of the ingredient list. New food ingredients and processing technologies improve food safety and nutritional value and provide more choices. For example, infant formula is added with a variety of nutrients to support growth; low-sugar and low-salt foods are designed for patients with diabetes or hypertension; plant-based proteins provide protein for vegetarians. If functional ingredients are ignored due to the pursuit of "naturalness" or a short ingredient list, it may not be conducive to nutritional balance.

Consumers’ pursuit of clean ingredient lists has prompted businesses to choose healthier ingredients and produce healthier products. This has driven many brands to use natural sweeteners, preservatives and thickeners, and to improve production processes, reduce the need for additives, and improve product quality and safety.

However, excessive belief in "the shorter the ingredient list, the better" may prompt companies to reduce or eliminate necessary additives, or even make false propaganda, which will affect food quality and safety, lead to market chaos, and harm consumer rights. Therefore, regulatory authorities should strengthen supervision of food ingredient lists to protect consumers' right to know and the healthy development of the market.

In short, the length of the ingredient list is not the only criterion for measuring the quality of food. Consumers should look at the food ingredient list rationally, understand the ingredients according to their own needs, and make a comprehensive and reasonable judgment. At the same time, paying attention to the food production process, brand reputation and third-party certification will help to better evaluate food quality.