Sufia Hossain, a native of Bangladesh who worked in fashion in New York, turned a career corner and decided to make hot sauces. Months of experimentation led to her company, Silly Chilly Hotsauce, which makes sauces in Englewood and Bloomfield, N.J., from chiles grown at Rutgers University’s farm in New Brunswick, among other sources. Each of the three sauces is agreeably thick: mellow mustard-yellow mango and sweet pepper; musky, smoky mahogany serrano and chipotle; and weaponized neon-orange habanero. Ms. Hossain also teaches classes in making hot sauces, $45 per person for 90 minutes in Manhattan and Brooklyn: Silly Chilly Hotsauce, $10.95 for five ounces, sillychillyhotsauce.com.

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The need for transparency in Food & Drink cannot be overstated. As described in articles Top Trends Driving Innovation In Food and Drinks  and  Important Steps To Shaping A Healthier food future: consumer demand for transparency in the food & drink is driving change in the industry.

This article focuses on highlighting practical steps some food and beverage companies are adopting which can be emulated by others  to keep consumers informed. Tom Spier and Dayton Miller Managing Partners at Boulder Food Group (a venture firm that partners with food and beverage brands) along with 6 food entrepreneurs shared their insights for this article. The insights shared are divided into the different categories listed below:

1. Reformulating/ Launching New Lines:

“Companies are reformulating existing products. Practically speaking this strategy makes a lot of sense given the distribution that many of these products have already received; however, reformulations need to be done in such a way so as to not alienate core customers. Also, companies are launching new products and brands that better capture the clean labels that consumers are seeking. New products can take the form of line extensions (with a better-for-you angle such as reduced fat, sodium, or sugar, etc.) or totally new brands. And finally, companies are buying other companies that better serve the needs of today's changing consumer” - Dayton Miller, Boulder Food Group "Health conscious consumers are not only looking for cleaner ingredients in their food-- they also worry about the preservatives and additives they find in healthier foods, and have grown suspicious of ostensibly simple products having long ingredient lists . I’ve seen this problem especially prevalent in the plant-based category, which traditionally has called for a tremendous amount of preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and unnatural ingredients to extend shelf lives. To tackle this problem, brands are  manufacturing products that are free from dangerous artificial additives such as carrageenan, gums and emulsifiers. These brands are building trust with consumers by using simple and straightforward ingredient lists that make it possible for anyone to easily read and understand what they are putting into their bodies.'' - Rachel Gutierrez Founder of Modest Mylk.

2. Education

“Companies are increasing the information available regarding ingredients and sourcing. Some now list  suppliers by ingredient type on their website, they also make it easy for consumers to enter the batch number from outside the package to determine the suppliers, area of origination, and other details.  Companies increasing transparency are increasing trust with consumers.” -Tom Spier, Boulder Food Group  

“In the past companies would bury or hide their ingredients by using cute and trendy call-out on the front of their packaging. Today, the ingredient deck is a bible for consumers and what is listed really matters. Consumers are becoming more and more knowledgeable and are looking for full transparency from the brands that they support. Because of this, brands are starting to explain the functional aspects of their products and keeping packaging simple and straightforward. Brands with nothing to hide are helping to further educate consumers on how to identify different forms of artificial ingredients on labels and in turn are holding competing brands to a high standard of transparency.” - Chloe Epstein Founder of Chloe’s

3. Research &  Accessibility To Information:

"Visiting a food brand's website and not having information available or accessible could be frustrating to consumers. The most common missing information are nutrition facts and ingredient lists—since this is  required on product packaging food brands may want to consider publishing these on their website too. If one of the ingredients is not a common grocery item, adding a little blurb describing the item will be beneficial. These little practices, among others, not only drive transparency, but also prevent frustration from consumers actually interested in learning more about food products.

Also, as someone with a background in food science, I've come across countless misconceptions about food, the food industry, and food processing. Some of these are spread by consumers, but many are also propagated (or perpetuated) by food brands. Companies need to conduct extensive unbiased research before making a claim. Ensuring accuracy of a claim before advertising specific health benefits or detriments is crucial. Like with any other industry, if you don't have a background in the area, consult a professional.  When consumers discover they're being misinformed, they will naturally believe the brand is lacking transparency—even if it was unintentional." -Jessica Kwong, Founder- Jack & Friends Jerky

"It’s extremely important  to provide ingredient information to consumers, they all have the right to know what they are putting into their body. Companies should list the exact ingredients- for an example: instead of writing chili peppers they can specify name of the exact pepper. Ingredients should be sourced directly from the suppliers and the supply chain information can be made available to consumers so that they know where the ingredients are coming from". Sufia Hossain, Founder -Silly Chilly Hotsauce

4. Honesty & Engaging Consumers

“I believe it is critical to show the process. Consumers want to be part of the journey--to understand why you are making this product, who you are and why they should align themselves with you through this purchase. In order to do that, companies need to show the process--not just the final result. I also think it is critical to be open and honest about how  products are made and what it is made from. It is an immensely risky proposition--as soon as you reveal exactly where your product comes from and how it is made, someone can take it from you. But to some degree, it is also necessary and there are ways to do so in a way that does not jeopardize proprietary information.  Being open and honest is critical for building that trust that brings a customer to you”. Sarah Pritzker, Founder,  Atlas Provisions

“Sharing openly not only ethics and sourcing practices, but also, production practices. Where is it produced? How is it produced? Creating more brand identity and differentiation around how we tell our sourcing story - what are we committed to, specifically? Who do we purchase from? What do we promise to share? Keeping open lines of communication and making that the norm for customers, so that eventually, only the brands that truly engage in the conversation stand out. Going beyond just labeling and making claims, and being willing to open discussion and peel back curtains.”- Renee Dunn, Founder- Amazi Foods