Reach into your pantry or refrigerator and choose any packaged food item. The most common scenario is that it is plastered with marketing claims like sugar free or immunity boosting. Or perhaps, one of my least favorite terms, all natural. The reason why I dislike it is because it means absolutely nothing and is only used to deceive buyers into believing the food item is healthy.
The natural or all natural claim can be found on a variety of different products. It appears to be a very successful marketing claim. Over $40 billion worth of food items are sold each year with these label claims on them. Some believe these claims are similar to or even better than organic certification. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While organic certification requires inspections and audits, food manufacturers need no such scrutiny to use the natural or all natural claims. There are no government oversight groups. There isn't even an industry standard definition.
The FDA is in charge of oversight of the use of marketing slogans on food packaging, certainly a difficult task. Unfortunately, despite significant use of the natural or all natural label claims, the group has not defined these terms to standardize their use. The FDA has said it has no problem with these claims if the food products refrain from using food coloring, artificial flavors, or any synthetic additive.
At first glance, this appears to be an okay standard. But upon further reflection, the FDA leaves out trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, genetically-modified organisms and more. This is unacceptable. It is hard to put much stock in these claims if there is no government oversight and no consequences for misleading claims.
Left to their own devices, food manufacturers have created their own meanings of these claims, which has led to many misleading claims and confusion among consumers. The number of scandals the food industry has experienced is countless. While I believe consumers should be more vigilant, these companies should not be allowed to make their own definitions.
The good news is that consumers and advocacy groups are waking up to the lack of oversight and taking matters into their own hands. We need to hold these companies accountable. There have been some significant lawsuits against food manufacturers and grocery store chains. I think this trend will only grow. We are finally becoming aware that these companies do not have our best interests in mind, but their own. Profits.
While I recommend eating whole foods, should you desire a processed food, I suggest putting little faith in marketing claims and to read the ingredients list in its entirety. The shorter the list, the better. Also, be sure to investigate or avoid chemicals you aren't familiar with. While we need to hold food companies accountable, we also need to be responsible in watching what we allow in our food. The FDA isn't doing its job, so we must do it for them.
The natural or all natural claim can be found on a variety of different products. It appears to be a very successful marketing claim. Over $40 billion worth of food items are sold each year with these label claims on them. Some believe these claims are similar to or even better than organic certification. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While organic certification requires inspections and audits, food manufacturers need no such scrutiny to use the natural or all natural claims. There are no government oversight groups. There isn't even an industry standard definition.
The FDA is in charge of oversight of the use of marketing slogans on food packaging, certainly a difficult task. Unfortunately, despite significant use of the natural or all natural label claims, the group has not defined these terms to standardize their use. The FDA has said it has no problem with these claims if the food products refrain from using food coloring, artificial flavors, or any synthetic additive.
At first glance, this appears to be an okay standard. But upon further reflection, the FDA leaves out trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, genetically-modified organisms and more. This is unacceptable. It is hard to put much stock in these claims if there is no government oversight and no consequences for misleading claims.
Left to their own devices, food manufacturers have created their own meanings of these claims, which has led to many misleading claims and confusion among consumers. The number of scandals the food industry has experienced is countless. While I believe consumers should be more vigilant, these companies should not be allowed to make their own definitions.
The good news is that consumers and advocacy groups are waking up to the lack of oversight and taking matters into their own hands. We need to hold these companies accountable. There have been some significant lawsuits against food manufacturers and grocery store chains. I think this trend will only grow. We are finally becoming aware that these companies do not have our best interests in mind, but their own. Profits.
While I recommend eating whole foods, should you desire a processed food, I suggest putting little faith in marketing claims and to read the ingredients list in its entirety. The shorter the list, the better. Also, be sure to investigate or avoid chemicals you aren't familiar with. While we need to hold food companies accountable, we also need to be responsible in watching what we allow in our food. The FDA isn't doing its job, so we must do it for them.
About the Author:
Be sure to check out my website for more information at reading food label ingredients or my blog at dangers of food additives preservatives. Thank you and be well!
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