Health-Focused Store Brands That Deliver on Shopper Demands

Store-brand or private label foods and beverages have long competed on price, an edge that’s more important than ever as costs continue to rise. But unlike the plain “generics” of the past, many store brands today offer shoppers great taste, top quality, attractive packaging, and sought-after health-related attributes related to health, nutrition, ingredients and sustainability.

What Shoppers Want

When consumers were asked what they look for when shopping in person for foods and beverages, products labeled “natural” topped the list, at 39%, followed by clean ingredients (27%), raised without antibiotics, no added hormones or steroids, locally sourced, and organic (25% each), and non-GMO (23%), according to the International Food Information Council 2022 Food and Health Survey. 

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Also mentioned were plant-based (15%), fair wage/fair trade (14%) and small carbon footprint/carbon neutral (13%).

Many store brands deliver entire product lines with at least some of these attributes, making it easier for health-minded consumers to shop with confidence. A few examples follow:

• Albertsons’ Open Nature line is free from artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives, and includes 100% natural chicken, 100% grass-fed beef, items that are free from added hormones and antibiotics, and wild-caught seafood that’s free from preservatives. Gluten-free, high-protein, nondairy and plant-based options are also available. Additionally, Albertsons’ O Organics product line is USDA Certified Organic.
• Trader Joe’s private label products contain no artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, MSG, genetically modified ingredients or partially hydrogenated oils. Colors are derived only from naturally available products. 
• All items sold at Whole Foods Market meet strict quality standards for ingredients, sustainability practices and more. The 365 by Whole Foods Market brand in many cases goes “above and beyond” these standards in terms of sourcing, worker and animal welfare, and supply chain transparency. Whole Foods is the first and only certified- organic national grocery store, with 20,000 organic offerings.
• Wegmans’ Food You Feel Good About line, which comprises nearly 90% of all Wegmans brand items, promises “great taste with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives,” according to the grocer. Wellness Keys on Wegmans brand products highlight nutrition or ingredient information like “high-fiber” or “gluten-free” to help shoppers quickly find items that support their health-and-wellness goals.
• The Kroger Co.’s Simple Truth line is free from more than 101 artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners; contains no artificial ingredients; and offers minimally processed, naturally raised meats that are fed a 100% vegetarian diet, without antibiotics or added hormones. Simple Truth also includes a line of certified-organic products.