The Shocking Truth About What Is Allowed In Natural Food

EpigeneticsAndNutriton.com is a source for optimal health and wellness! What Is hiding Behind The Label When It Comes To Natural Food?

Food labels can be quite decieving. On the one hand, they are  standardized, regulated information like the “Nutrition Facts” section and on the other,  they showcase marketing ploys such as unregulated claims, product promotions, and/or celebrity endorsements.

However, with natural food labels only getting more complicated with more colors and terminology, what taglines and words found on U.S. labels are actually based on science, and what information is cleverly included on the label to get you to buy their product?

Let’s explore some of the most popular natural food label terms found on products in the U.S. We will look at whether or not they’re actually regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or if the terminology manufacturers are using is no more than fancy words and phrases designed to pull on your emotions so you can load up on their product while in the grocery store.

Okay, so let’s look at this overused term “natural” and all its iterations starting with “100 percent natural ingredients” to “made with natural ingredients” to “100 percent  natural” to “all natural,” what does all this really mean? Does it provide you with factual information about the products / products you are about to purchase?

Natural Food Claims Are Everywhere In the Grocery Store

If you haven’t frequented a grocery store lately the “natural” claims are plastered in every aisle. According to a recent Grist report, “In 2008, Mintel’s Global New Products Database found that ‘all-natural’ was the second most used claim on new American food products. And, as it turns out from a number of recent study groups focusing on sustainability, the term “natural” is also the most popular.

When focus group participants were asked what description on a food label would you most want to see, the overwhelming majority stated, ‘100 percent natural’. So, you can see why all major manufacturers are including these slogans on as many natural food labels as possible! They want their products bought, but are you getting what’s printed on the label?

Here’s A Comedic Take On The “False Advertising Industry” In Terms Of What Is Allowed In Natural Food

The FDA does little to regulate these terms and phrases involving the word “natural”, meaning manufacturers have a wide open playing field when using their marketing slogans on natural food. Here’s what the FDA has to say about “natural”: “From a food science perspective, it is difficult to define a food product that is ‘natural’ because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth. That said, FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

However, when we look closer at what constitutes “synthetic” or “artificial,” we encounter a brand new list of problems. Many products labeled as “natural” or “natural food” consist of many not-so-natural things.  This has lead to many new recent lawsuits. Daniel Engber of Slate reported in 2012 on the contentious nature of these claims: “Last summer, lawyers sued General Mills over the nature of its Nature Valley granola bars. In December, a lawsuit pointed out that Frito-Lay’s Tostitos and SunChips are not in fact ‘made with ALL NATURAL ingredients,’ unless you think that genetically modified grains are natural.

I’m sure you’re one of the ones, just like hundreds of thousands of other procery shoppers who feel like they have been had with false advertising! As Dr. Mercola states, “maybe you didn’t read the ingredient list on your ‘natural’ product until you got home, only to notice some very UN-natural looking ingredients listed there, and wondered how there could be such an enormous difference between the front of the bag and the back,”.  “As it turns out, most of what’s on the label is marketing hype and splashy design work, made only to seduce you into believing the product is good for you. And as you’ll see, you have to be very market-savvy to find the truth, because labels have fooled even the smartest shoppers.”

Okay, now, if there is so much turmoil regarding the term “natural,” what does the FDA plan to do about creating regulations to help protect the consumer? As of this time, absolutely nothing! I know, outrageous right?. Reason being is, the FDA is not sure is this is a priotity for grocery shoppers? What??? Crazy, right? I guess they are not paying attention to all the recent lawsuits?

So, no help is coming from the FDA in regards to natural food labeling, big surprise right? Time to take natural food label reading into your own hands. Go beyond the front of the label and read the back. If it has one or more ingredients you don’t recognize or pronounce, put it back on the shelf and shop more from the perimeter aisles. Focus on buying whole foods, after all, you know what’s in spinach or bananas or an apple. I think you see where I’m going and buy only organic, it makes a difference!

Cheers!

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