Why Get Keto Certified
Wandering through the aisles of your grocery store, the hundreds of food labels that shout for your attention are different than they were a decade ago. Traditional “visual branding” strategies focused on bright colors, innovative names and logos, and other eye-grabbing effects that were designed to vie for consumer attention. Remember the Trix Bunny, anyone? Our industrial food system, however, has played an enormous part in the obesity crisis gripping the country. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “the prevalence of obesity was 39.8% and affected about 93.3 million of US adults in 2015~2016.” Heart disease, diabetes, and other diet-related epidemics are similarly a tremendous public health problem.
This unfortunate reality has fortunately led to an increased awareness about the food we put into our bodies. As consumers walk through the grocery store today, the colorful packaging of Trix cereal is often much less important than the black and white nutrition label found on the side of the cereal box. More and more people are beginning to take seriously their diet and nutrition. Reading the labels on the packaged foods we purchase is certainly one aspect of this increased consumer awareness and demand for healthier food alternatives. Certification programs, however, are another important aspect that influences how people choose the food that they bring home from the grocery store.
Some Considerations on Consumer Awareness and Demand for Healthy Food Alternatives
A recent study on Mindful Food Consumption found that “over the years, healthy foods have evolved from passing fad to mainstream movement, representing a lifestyle that’s more about conscious consumption.” The 2018 survey from the consultant group L.E.K.’s also found that consumers want health claims to be more nuanced and convey specific attributes.
Greenwashing has, unfortunately, become commonplace across several industries. Companies of all scope and nature have quickly come to understand that consumers will pay more for products that they consider to be healthier, greener, or more environmentally friendly. While a green logo and claims of supposed health benefits on a label might convince some grocery store patrons, most consumers who are truly interested in what they eat have come to demand much more. Healthy food certification programs are widely appreciated and sought out by consumers looking for healthy food alternatives that deliver on their promises.
The above-mentioned study also discovered that consumers are willing to pay for food that delivers on its claims. While labeling and certification programs do represent an upfront cost for food brands, they have also been shown to “payback” the investment through winning over consumer trust and developing long-term customer loyalty.
Another study, titled “How Consumer Demand for Transparency is Shaping the Food Industry” finds that the value of transparency is replacing traditional avenues of brand loyalty. The study, which surveyed 1,500 consumers, states that “consumers value and expect this transparency so much so that more than a third (37 percent) say they are willing to switch brands if their current brand does not provide them with the product information they seek. In an industry where growth depends heavily on fostering loyalty and acquiring market share, this finding presents a significant opportunity for food and beverage brands to create a competitive advantage.”
Along the same lines, the study goes on to say that around two-thirds of all consumers believe it is the brand or manufacturer’s responsibility to provide them with complete product information. Fancy logos and innovative packaging are still an important part of an overall marketing scheme. However, displaying a dependable certification is becoming an expected part of creating and maintaining a trustworthy and transparent relationship with your consumers.
Benefits of Keto Certification
Never have diets been more popular. The International Food Information Council Foundations states that around 36 percent of all Americans (more than one-third) admit to currently following a specific eating pattern or diet. Local bookstores and libraries often have entire sections dedicated to diet and nutrition. People care about what they eat and are willing to spend more money and energy on following eating patterns that go with their lifestyle and health and wellness goals. In fact, the L.E.K. survey quoted above also found that over half of the respondents (53 percent) said they shop according to a specific diet.
The Keto Diet is one of the most popular dietary choices of Americans. According to Google, it was the most “searched” for type of diet in 2018, and continues to command a dedicated following. Keto certification through the Paleo Foundation, then, can help low carb food brands build trust and loyalty with their consumers.
Unlike some diets, the Keto diet often requires strict adherence to daily carbohydrate intake in order to allow the body to enter into the state of ketosis. A product that labels itself as “low-carb” without specifically defining the amount of carbohydrates can lead to confusion and even throw you out of ketosis. Unfortunately, the blatant mislabeling of products also continues to occur, as some businesses seek to abuse consumer interest in low carb lifestyles for their own economic gain.
Keto certification through an established and trusted third party certification agency is a great way to help build consumer trust in a market where “low-carb claims” are increasingly showing up on food packaging, and where competition is high, but product differentiation is low.
Why Get Keto Certified by the Paleo Foundation?
The Paleo Foundation offers Paleo, Keto, and grain-free certification for a wide range of food products. Our stringent vetting process ensures that the end-consumer can purchase with confidence and conviction that their food choices will support their nutritional and lifestyle goals. All brands that undergo the certification process are submitted to a thorough and lengthy third-party verification process that adheres to the strictest Ketogenic standards.
Unlike some low carb certifications, our Ketogenic standards are specifically differentiated according to the different types of food products. For example, snack products must not contain more than 6 grams of net/effective carbohydrates per serving. You can find a complete list of our KETO Certified standards here. We also have a rigid list of completely disallowed ingredients for all the foods we certify, including partially-hydrogenated oils such as soybean, margarine, and vegetable oil, exogenous ketones, and artificial sweeteners.
Keto certification is a great strategy to help low carb food brands create initial sales conversions that eventually lead to long-term brand trust and awareness. Convincing your clients that they are receiving the highest quality Ketogenic products available is a guaranteed strategy for establishing a firm foothold in an ever-more competitive industry.
