FoodNavigator recently posted an article talking about the refusal of regulators to provide a formal definition of the term 'natural.'
"Natural" food products are big business. It was the third most frequent claim launched on food products in the U.S. in 2007. And 63% of U.S. customers have a preference for "natural" foods and beverages.
However, as I talked about in a previous blog, there really is no clear line between what is artificial and what is natural. And, as I discussed in detail, there is no evidence that natural (whatever natural means) products are any safer or better for us than artificial ones (whatever artificial means).
Despite that, people demand "natural" products. And unfortunately, there are no regulations governing the use of the term "natural", and there are no standardized industry guidelines in the U.S. or Europe.
The FDA recently received two petitions to define the term, but it will not be considering this issue in the near future because "we're not sure how high of an issue it is for consumers."
If the FDA ever does consider it, it's not going to be easy to define it.
I'll give my opinion on this issue. I do think there should be a definition so that consumers know exactly what is meant by the term "natural." Consumers have a right to know. There also needs to be consistency among food manufacturers in how this term is used. However, I would also have to side with the FDA that it's not an urgent issue. The FDA is dragging their feet on this because they don't have the resources to tackle everything on their plates...and they have more important issues to deal with (such as allergen declarations). IMO, they're right...defining "natural" really isn't an urgent thing (especially given the issues I talked about in my previous blog).
That brings me to another issue I have with the whole "all-natural" thing....the fact that food manufacturers will change the names on the list of ingredients to make something sound natural or healthier than it really is.
Let me give you an example. On some natural food products (like some snack bars), you'll see in the ingredient "evaporated cane juice."
Do you know what evaporated cane juice is?
Table sugar. That's all it is. But manufacturers will use the other term because it sounds healthier. IMO this is misleading, as not everyone knows that evaporated cane juice and sugar are the same thing. So someone might buy a product not realizing there is added sugar in it. The only tip-off they might get is if they read the "sugars" content on the carbohydrate label.
Anyway, as I've mentioned before, don't get too caught up in whether something is "all-natural" or not. It's much more important to pay attention to the macronutrient content, the type of fat, and the type of carbohydrate in a food rather than whether it can meet the as-of-yet-to-be-determined "natural" category.