Consumers Pay More Attention To Ingredients Than Labels When Buying Food

"Fat-free" products and other similarly advertised foods are starting to lose traction among consumers as shown by a decrease in sales over the past five years. What food buyers' are looking for is a shorter ingredients list lacking artificial substances.

Around 61 percent of consumers said the shorter the ingredients list, the healthier the product, according to data from Nielsen.

Data also showed that in 2016, 69 percent of consumers utilized the internet to obtain more health information regarding the products they were buying.

"The overall trend of a more-educated consumer is excellent," Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey, author of Is That Fried Chicken Worth It?, told Bloomberg. "Just being aware of what you're eating leads you to eating less."

Attentiveness to ingredients has also impacted gluten-free and soy-free product sales, which have increased by 11.8 percent and 29.8 percent, respectively, over the past five years. However, healthcare professionals do not recommend eliminating gluten or soy from your diet unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or breast cancer.