Is Natural Food Better? If you are a health conscious shopper it’s compelling to take a second look at products marked “natural” when choosing among otherwise similar products. If you have this inclination you are in the majority. Consumer Reports found that over 60% of shoppers regularly look for "natural" labels when shopping. Unfortunately, the word natural has no official status. It’s an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ word. From the food seller’s perspective, “It means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” The Food and Drug Administration has recently taken an interest in clarifying the word ‘natural.’ Time will tell if the sausage making of Government influenced by food industry special interest can settle on a definition that helps us make informed choices. Till then, there is a lot to be said in favor of preparing food at home from fresh produce, whole grains and in general less highly refined foods. As for natural exercise, a walk sounds pretty natural to me. Plan to join me Saturday for the original all natural exercise, a fun walk! Nancy Neighbors, MD Confused? You’re Not Alone A survey of shoppers found approximately: 62% usually buy foods labeled ‘natural.’ 66% believe ‘natural’ means more than it does. 50% believe that natural claims are independently verified. When asked what the word natural should mean for processed foods, opinions vary. Typical beliefs about the word ‘natural include: 85% no chemicals use in processing. 84% no artificial ingredients or colors. 84% no toxic pesticides. 82% no genetically modified organisms 87% would pay more if it met expectations. Learn more about ongoing efforts to sort out the meaning of the word ‘natural’ from the articles, “Peeling Back the 'Natural' Food Label”, and “Is Your Food ‘Natural’? F.D.A. to Weigh In.” What Does a Word Mean? Over the past few years, some 200 class-action suits have been filed against food manufacturers, charging them with misuse of the adjective “natural” in marketing such edible oxymorons as Natural Cheetos Puffs, All- natural Sun Chips, All-Natural Juice, and All-Natural Chicken Nuggets. Many of these products contain high- fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and colorings, chemical preservatives and genetically modified organisms. Common words are often the source of dispute and the word ‘natural’ is no different. Despite the words many rounds in the courts, its broadly accepted meaning in the context of nutrition is unlikely to be settled until the Food and Drug Administration weighs in. Read more in the article “Why ‘Natural’ Doesn’t Mean Anything Anymore.” Wikipedia In the Internet era there is no shortage of authorities when it comes to defining words and ideas. Perhaps the most popular authority is Wikipedia. While opinions vary about its approach, the Wikipedia community has highlighted the difficulty of defining a seemingly simple idea like ‘natural products’ in a few words. From Wikipedia we learn: “A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life.” So far so good. Unfortunately, the Wikipedia definition continues for another five pages. Read more at Wikipedia. |