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]

To make food fat free add sugar.

To make food sugar free add fats.

What a system !!!!!

[research]

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]

Soylent Green is Natural!

[Swerinjer]

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

[jeanruss]

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

[research]

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.