What Does ‘Natural’ Actually Mean On Food Labels?
Most people think it means more than it actually does.
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It’s easy to grab a snack labeled “all natural.” But does that actually mean it’s healthy? Not necessarily.
In a survey, over 60 percent of consumers reported buying food and beverages because they were labeled “natural.” Many people think that means no GMOs, no artificial ingredients or chemicals. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no formal binding definition for “natural.” Nearly half of people in a nationally representative survey said they were misled by the label.
What does the FDA’s informal definition of “natural” mean?
The FDA has no formal definition of the word “natural” on a food label, but it has issued guidance which specifies:
- No artificial or synthetic ingredients. A food is not “natural” if an ingredient listed on the label is artificial or synthetic.
- No color additives. Even if added colors are from natural sources (like turmeric), the food cannot be labeled “natural.”
That’s about it.
What’s excluded from the FDA’s guidance of “natural?”
The informal FDA guidance does not include specifications on:
- GMO ingredients. While GMO foods can still be wholesome and healthful foods, consumer research has shown people are highly interested in knowing whether their foods contain ingredients produced with genetic engineering. In a survey, consumers stated they think “natural” means no GMO ingredients; it does not.
- Ultra-processing. Again, ultra-processed foods can be healthy. But “all natural” does not have any bearing on how a food is produced, or whether it contains highly-processed ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup. (Although many food makers have phased out high fructose corn syrup due to consumer objection.)
- Certain production methods. Consumers sometimes think “all natural” means grown without certain synthetic pesticides; this is true for “organic” but not for “natural.” There is also no mention in the guidance about some food safety processing methods like irradiation and thermal processing; these methods are used to improve the safety of foods like spices and lettuce, but are arguably not natural.
What is the current status of the “natural” label?
According to the FDA, the agency has a “longstanding policy concerning the use of ‘natural’ in human food labeling.” But it also states that it has “not engaged in rulemaking to establish a formal definition for the term natural.” This means that the FDA doesn’t have a strict regulatory standard on how or when the words “all natural” can appear on a food package. However, since the FDA does have concrete regulatory authority against misleading marketing claims, they may enforce the word “natural” if it is part of misinforming advertising.
In 2016, the FDA asked for public comment on whether the word “natural” should be formally defined after consumer groups and companies asked for clarifications or regulations. But to date, no regulations have been issued.
In the meantime, consumers are joining class action lawsuits to claim they have been harmed by the word “natural” on foods such as bottled iced tea and vegetable oil.
It is up to companies to interpret “natural” responsibly on their own.
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How do companies interpret the “natural” label?
I wanted to see how the words “natural” or “all natural” are used by food companies on foods in my kitchen. In my fridge, I found the following:
“Only natural ingredients” on cups of Chobani Greek yogurt.
I reached out to Chobani to find out what “natural” means to them. “We use a science-based definition of ‘natural’ that’s aligned with Federal policies of the FDA and US Department of Agriculture,” says Matthew Graziose, PhD, Vice President Regulatory Affairs and Compliance at Chobani. “That means that our ingredients are never significantly altered from their original biological state. For our high protein Greek Yogurt, we use an authentic yogurt straining process to achieve a concentrated source of protein, without the use of whey powder or isolates. And only natural flavors that exist in nature are used.”
“Naturally flavored with other natural flavors” on a bottle of Lifeway Kefir cultured lowfat milk.
We also found “natural flavor” on the ingredient lists of products from KIND snack bars to Kashi cereal to kefir.
“Natural flavor” has a special definition. According to the FDA, natural flavors must be derived from real plant or animal sources. This means natural flavors must be derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs or dairy products. In contrast, artificial flavors are created from artificial chemicals by scientists called flavorists.
Examples of natural flavors include vanilla flavor from vanilla beans and lemon flavor from the oils in lemon peel.
While the words “natural flavors” often appear in the ingredient list of foods, we’ve noticed that that doesn’t mean the words “all natural” appear elsewhere on the product package.
How can the word “natural” be misleading on food labels?
Consumers identify “natural” as less processed or more wholesome than other products not identified as natural, though this may not actually always be the case.
Natural foods can still be healthy. Check out a food company’s website to determine its definition of healthy.
If you’re looking for specific standards of food productions, seek other labels that carry more oversight than “natural.” These include certified organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, third-party animal welfare or verified sports nutrition groups.
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