Clear, Clean and Nutrient Dense: Important Messaging to Communicate to Consumers

 

It’s National Nutrition Month and yesterday--March 26--was National Science Appreciation Day. It’s time to celebrate that real dairy has the nutrition and the science to support the benefits of that nutrition. This needs to be communicated CLEARLY and CLEANLY to consumers. 

New research from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) re-examines and underscores a timely truth: when it comes to food and nutrition science, who delivers the message and how the message is delivered matters. 

The 2026 IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Trust in Food & Nutrition Science finds that trust remains a critical prerequisite for Americans to embrace sound, science-based food guidance. The IFIC commissioned an online survey (n=1,018) from Dec. 9 to 15, 2025. The goal was to measure knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and trust in food and nutrition science among U.S. consumers. 

• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans expressed at least some trust in food and nutrition science, yet one in five (20%) remain uncertain, neither trusting nor distrusting it.  
• Among those with lower levels of trust in food and nutrition science, nearly half reported that they would be willing to change their diet if their trust in that science increased.
• More than seven in 10 Americans said it seems like recommendations about what to eat and drink are always changing.

“Trust is the gateway to behavior change,” said IFIC President and CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak. “If Americans don’t trust the science behind food guidance or the messenger delivering it, even the most well-intentioned recommendations won’t resonate. Our research shows that skepticism doesn’t necessarily mean resistance, but it does mean we have work to do.”

The findings from survey also clarify what builds trust.  

More than half of Americans said they are more likely to trust food advice if it cites scientific evidence, if it is simple and easy to follow, and if it comes from a registered dietitian. By contrast, advice driven by shock tactics or social media popularity is far less trusted. 

Together, these results highlight that improving dietary behaviors is not solely a matter of providing information. Building and sustaining trust through clear, credible and consistent communication is essential to ensuring that food guidance resonates.

One of the spaces that dairy brands should work with a dietitian is in explaining the processing involved in manufacturing nutrient-dense dairy foods. This will assist with the growing tensions and confusion in the ultra-processed foods conversation. 

Unfortunately, foods are often discussed as a single “ultra-processed” category. Real-world data tell a more nuanced story, according to Reinhardt Kapsak.

Nutrient density varies widely within Nova 4-classified products and often overlaps with non-NOVA foods. These processing classifications fall short and this is why nutrient density must be communicated, and it’s helpful for this to come from a dietitian. It also helps when these foods have clean, simple labels. 

With the heightened awareness and growing push against ultra-processed foods, brands need to focus on being as “real” as possible. Using flavors, colors and ingredients that are authentic and relatable will be a growing trend in 2026. 

This supports the “sweet, but make it mindful” prediction for 2026 from Whole Foods Market. According to the natural foods retailer, having a sweet tooth will never go out of style, but people have become more mindful of their sugar intake. This is fueling innovations where sweetness is associated with a flavor, such as honey, maple and real fruit. Tasting is believing. Sugar tastes sweet, while ingredients such as honey, maple syrup and real fruit purees are sweet and flavorful, they also provide functionality to many applications, including dairy foods. They add value and permission to indulge.

 

Danone know this well. Oikos REMIX provides a touch of natural sweetness, along with the protein consumers want. “With 11 grams of complete protein in every 4.5-ounce cup (making it an excellent source of protein), you can rest easy knowing you’re snacking strong with every spoonful.” 

One of the brand’s most recent additions is Oikos REMIX Coco Almond Chocolate, which features coconut-flavored nonfat yogurt with a mix-ins blend of honey praline almonds and dark chocolate. Another is OIKOS REMIX S’mores. This variety features vanilla nonfat yogurt with honey graham cookies, dark chocolate and toasted marshmallow bark mix-ins.

Chobani features honey graham bits in its Chobani Flip S’mores yogurt. It’s all about mindful sweetness. 

Social justice brand Ben & Jerry’s has always made premium ingredient selection of clean, ethical and sustainable priority. As a Certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry’s incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices via values-led sourcing initiatives when purchasing ingredients. 

Ben & Jerry’s newest flavor is here. Honey Graham Latte features coffee caramel ice cream with honey graham cracker swirls and crunchy cinnamon swirls. Honey Graham Latte will appear in select grocery stores as a Limited Batch pint starting this April. 

Ice Cream for Bears introduced Sundaes at Expo West. The 3.5-ounce cups are sold in four packs and come in two varieties. Caramel Dunes is vanilla ice cream with a caramel ribbon. Waves of Fudge is vanilla ice cream with a fudge ribbon. One single-serve cup contains 200 calories. The only added sweetener is raw honey. This is true for the ice cream and the ribbon. The ice cream is made with grass-fed dairy.

Blue Bell has new limited edition Honey Vanilla Ice Cream pints. It is simply honey vanilla flavored ice cream. 

“Honey Vanilla is for those who love simple flavors done right,” said Carl Breed, Blue Bell vice president, sales & marketing. “The rich, creamy ice cream texture blends perfectly with the honey’s mild sweetness. Honey vanilla was created to enjoy on its own, but it also pairs well with desserts like cookies, cakes and brownies.”  

The new flavor features extra-sweet, eye-catching carton graphics that honey fanatics will appreciate. 

“Our Honey Vanilla is sure to stand out in the ice cream aisle,” Breed said. “The carton is wrapped in an image of a warm yellow honeycomb with a honey jar and dipper.”

Lifeway Foods debuted Lifeway Kefir Butter at Expo West. This probiotic, cultured butter comes in Unsalted, Sea Salt and Honey Butter varieties. Low in lactose and made with Lifeway’s signature kefir cultures, this butter is crafted for depth of flavor and a silky finish. 

Honey is a clean-label, natural sweetener that gives consumers permission to satisfy their sweet tooth. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service’s Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook Tables, U.S. consumption of honey and made-with-honey products reached an all-time high of 688.6 million pounds in 2024, surpassing 2021’s previous record of 618 million pounds. The data also highlights a record per capita consumption increase of approximately 25% from 1.6 pounds to a record 2 pounds, between 2023 and 2024.

Over a 30-year period, U.S. demand for honey and honey-sweetened products has continued to trend upward due to its classification as a superfood that benefits overall health and well-being, as well as being perceived as a healthier alternative to table sugar.

“The results of this study are a testament to American consumers’ increased awareness of honey’s benefits,” said Margaret Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of the National Honey Board. “Steadily, over time, honey has become the preferred sweetener for many because it’s an all-natural, minimally processed sweetener. When you choose honey, you are not only supporting a beekeeper but the entire honey bee population that protects and pollinates our food ecosystem.”

These findings align with the National Honey Board’s U.S. Honey Consumer Attitudes & Usage study, which found that honey is the most used sweetener across lunch, dinner and snack times. Consumers report preferring honey for its all-natural health benefits, in addition to flavor. Honey helps keep dairy clear, clean and nutritionally dense.