A new ingredients-focused shopper study from Acosta Group underscores the growing importance of transparency in food, beverage and beauty purchasing decisions. 

The research highlights how personalization, transparency and trust are shaping wellness-driven consumer behavior. 

"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."

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 U.S. 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.  

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 U.S. efforts to meet Europe's stricter standards on artificial ingredients.  

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 U.S. and is the company's proprietary community for survey engagement.

About Acosta Group  
Acosta Group is a collective of the most trusted retail, marketing and foodservice agencies empowering brands and retailers to win in the modern marketplace. By delivering transformative, commerce-focused solutions and more than 98 years of expertise, Acosta Group connects the company's partners with people at every point in the consumer journey. Comprised of Acosta, ActionLink, ADW, CORE Foodservice, CROSSMARK, Mosaic, Premium Retail Services, and Product Connections, Acosta Group understands and anticipates evolving consumer needs, fueling accelerated performance to connect tomorrow's commerce today.