What Does "Natural" Mean?

According to the FDA:

Although the FDA has not engaged in rulemaking to establish a formal definition for the term “natural,” we do have a lonstanding policy concerning the use of “natural” in human food labeling.  The FDA has considered the term “natural” to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.

So what does that mean? Essentially, nothing. 

The FDA is responsible for regulating the food—and just as importantly, food labels—of most of the products we consume (excluding meat, poultry, and eggs).  So it might seem logical that this term, which we see commonly on many packaged foods in our grocery store, would be formally defined by some sort of regulating agency.  

This vague and informal “longstanding policy” gives food manufacturers a tremendous amount of leeway in labeling their products as “natural.”  Manufactures are always searching for new ways to market and sell their products to their consumers, and using the term “natural” allows them to do this simply and cheaply with little to no regulation.  

What consumer wouldn’t want to purchase an “all natural” product rather than its same-cost counterpart?  And once one product begins to market themselves this way, simple economics shows that other competitors are quick to follow in the same strategy.  While this might be considered a classic form of free market operating efficiently, this unregulated practice of labeling foods as “natural” has led to a rise in consumer confusion about what food they’re buying and ingesting.  According to a national Consumer Reports study, 59% of consumers check whether the products they are buying are natural despite there being no governmental or third-party regulator.

But there is hope!  Many private individuals have taken it upon themselves to file lawsuits against food manufactures with misleading “natural” labels.  More specifically, these cases typically involve food products claiming to be natural that include high fructose corn syrup, genetically engineered ingredients, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients.  

Hopefully these private suits will continue to occur, and this will eventually persuade the food manufacturers to label their products more accurately and honestly.  Until that happens, be aware of the foods you buy even if they do say natural.  Instead of looking at the advertising terms on the front of the box, look to the ingredients list—that will best ensure you know what you’re eating.