What Does "Natural" Mean To The FDA?

Ready for a back-to-school pop quiz? Here goes:

How does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) define the word "natural" for food products?

Actually, that was a trick question. The agency can't be bothered to define the term at all.

But that hasn't stopped manufacturers, eager to bask in the "natural" marketing glow, from shamelessly slapping the word on everything from salad dressing to potato chips. Unlike "organic," which is legally regulated, "natural," when seen in the aisles of your local supermarket, can mean pretty much anything the processors like.

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Comments

[dadw5boys]

05:37 AM on 08/28/2008

To make food fat free add sugar.

To make food sugar free add fats.

What a system !!!!!

[research]

08:21 PM on 08/29/2008

Stevia is a natural herb based sweetener with 400 times the sweetness of sucrose, it's diabetic safe, no sugar rush and crash, and virtually no calories.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

05:35 PM on 08/26/2008

Soylent Green is Natural!

[Swerinjer]

06:39 PM on 08/24/2008

LOL "Natural" means anything. As a rule of thumb I associate it with those chemicals that replicate a flavor.

[jeanruss]

06:05 PM on 08/24/2008

Natural means SQUAT. It's just a greenwashing tool for corporations to try to exploit the green trend and sell their crappy products.

[research]

04:38 PM on 08/22/2008

You have to read the labels, know you retailer, and research the products you use the most.

There are some Organizations who license their logo for truly organic, non-transgenic, un-irradiated, foods.