The post-Pandemic world we’re now enjoying finds consumers’ existential stresses receding…at least somewhat. Yet after several years of at-home eating, more consumers are understandably focused on health as well as product nutrition labels.

The International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) 2023 Food & Health Survey of more than 1,000 consumers (ages 18-80) found that seven in 10 respondents say they feel “very” or “somewhat” confident about the safety of the US food supply, up 2% from 2022. According to the IFIC report, “Boomers (77%), Gen X (70%), and Millennials (70%) are more likely to feel confident than Gen Z, of which less than half feel confident (44%). But even among those confident consumers, the IFIC study revealed that only 47% think the federal government, and 44% think food companies, are committed to ensuring that food is safe. Four in 10 surveyed said that there are too many food recalls and that federal regulations are not strict enough.

Comparing the study results to previous years, IFIC found that, while “overall confidence in the food supply is steady, fewer are ‘very’ confident.” With most Americans considering illness from food a top food safety concern, many of whom consider it issue No. 1, around half also consider carcinogens and chemicals found in food a top issue.

Alongside food and ingredient safety, consumers also have become even more avid label readers. The IFIC study revealed that more consumers say they are limiting sugars to improve their diet in general, more are trying to avoid sodium and saturated fat and consume more protein and fiber. Of the consumers IFIC polled, more this year than last year said that health benefits they seek from foods, beverages, and nutrients are motivated by weight and appearance.

Taken altogether, these statistics are a clear sign that today’s consumer is hyper-aware of what they are eating and drinking and more serious than ever about what their expectations are from the prepared foods and beverages they purchase. They are studying both the front and back of labels…and they are doing so warily.

Food and beverage product development has always been a matter of combining taste with technology, sizzle with science. What’s clear now is that consumers will continue scrutinizing product labels, and that the difference is in the details. And those details are trusted only when authenticated by laboratory instruments, analyzers, and services.

In this section, we offer detailed listings for suppliers of instruments, analyzers, lab tech, and services. Click below for references by company name, headquarters and website.