The Wall Street Journal-Business
"Some Food Companies Ditch 'Natural' Label
Amid Lawsuits Over the Claim, More Producers Drop the Word" By: Mike Esterl
This article was just recently published in The Wall Street Journal Business section and I thought it was interesting because we discussed a few weeks ago how much, for example organic, a product must be in order for the label to read "Organic," well in this case, certain companies are now taking the "natural" label of certain products due to recent lawsuits and the questioning of the word "natural." According to the FDA, there is no definition to the word "natural," but instead of following a definition, there is a policy that has been followed for a long time that helps to classify what is natural. What is your definition of "natural"? What criteria would do you think a product needs to meet to considered "natural"? How do you think consumers determine whether or not the products are really "natural"? Do you think consumers trust the label or avoid the products due to uncertainty of the production?
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304470504579163933732367084
I think that natural is almost harder to define than organic. Anything that comes from the earth can be natural. This article is really interesting in addressing what's "natural" as opposed to organic. I think that some companies will use this as more of an advertising thing and could even potentially take advantage of the word. On the other hand, this could actually benefit small farmers who can't afford to put "organic" on their labels. Either way, I think that it will be difficult for consumers to determine what products are actually natural; especially since it is difficult to define. I believe consumers should always be skeptical of labels, really no matter what they say.
ReplyDelete1. What is your definition of "natural"?
ReplyDeleteWhen I see the word natural on a food product, I assume that it contains minimally processed ingredients and no additives (like artificial sweeteners, food coloring, and artificial flavorings).
2. What criteria would do you think a product needs to meet to considered "natural"?
After reading this article, I feel that the word “natural” has no regulation in the food industry. It is used in many different contexts and often misused on labels and in advertisements. Since most food is derived from “natural” ingredients then goes through processing it is difficult to define what the term “natural” should be. I think the FDA should regulate the term and nail down a precise definition of the word and hold food companies to it. Maybe by defining what “minimally processed” and “no additives” means in more detail the FDA can put strict regulations on the term “natural” and stop food companies from using the term in such arbitrary ways.
3. How do you think consumers determine whether or not the products are really "natural"?
I honestly think most consumers do not really stop and think what the term “natural” means. Most take the term at face value and believe that the product does contain few processed ingredients and no additives.
4. Do you think consumers trust the label or avoid the products due to uncertainty of the production?
I think the average consumer is drawn to foods labeled “natural”. Wholesome and natural foods have been pushed in the last decade in our food system. Wheat bread, fruits and vegetables, and food that is not perfectly shaped and crafted are considered desirable in our economy. I believe that the average consumer trusts the food label.
Packaging and labeling is such an interesting topic. Companies seem to love to use labels like "natural" to circumvent regulations.
ReplyDeleteI am guilty of picking items that say "natural" in a store over those without the label. I am not sure exactly what makes them different but it comforts me slightly to think that someone else took the initiative to make this food better for me in some way. I think this is another way that we are becoming distanced from our food: no one really knows what "natural" means but no one really cares. More often than not we just take the manufacturers' word for it, and I think this article is a good example of the problems that can arise because of that.
ReplyDelete