The terms “Natural” and “Naturally Raised” ring an assuring tone when affixed onto meat labels at the supermarket. Who wants to buy an artificial chicken. “Natural” conjures images of endless plains where cattle roam freely, and open ranges where hens peck and scuttle about to their heart’s content.

Wake up! There is currently no textbook definition for these terms. Nor is there a proper USDA definition:

Natural:

1. A product can be called Natural if it contains no artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredients, chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient, AND

2.  the product is not more than “minimally processed”:

Minimally processed = “traditional processes used to make food edible or to preserve it or to make it safe for human consumption e.g., smoking, roasting, freezing, drying, and fermenting, or those physical processed which do not fundamentally alter the raw product and/or which only separate a whole, intact food into component parts, e.g., grinding meat, separating eggs… and pressing fruits to produce juices.”

3. All products claiming to be natural should be accompanied by a brief statement which explains what is meant by the term natural…

Naturally Raised:

The naturally raised marketing claim standard states that livestock used for the production of meat and meat products have been raised entirely without growth promotants, antibiotics (except for ionophores used as coccidiostats for parasite control), and have never been fed animal by-products.

This rather loose definition means that animals raised in huge factory farms, with no access to pasture or open air can still be considered naturally raised. Poultry can be called natural, even when injected with a saltwater broth to increase weight by 15%.

The USDA is aware of the situation and through its Food Safety Inspection Services (FSIS) arm is inviting the public to weigh in on the matter.

Want your voice to be heard? Here are the instructions for going online and submitting your suggestions:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to
type short comments directly into the comment field on this Web page or
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov
and, in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box, select ``Food Safety
and Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, and then click
on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select FDMS Docket Number FSIS-
2006-0040A to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and
related material available electronically. This docket can be viewed
using the ``Advanced Search'' function in Regulations.gov.
    Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs, and hand or courier-
delivered items: Send to FSIS, OPPD, Docket Room, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue,
Room 2-2127, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
    All submissions received by mail and electronic mail must include
the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2006-0040A.

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Horizon Organic, the country’s largest organic milk products distributor, has recently announced a new line of “all natural” products. This is dismaying to many fans of the organic movement, because it would cause an erosion in revenue and profit to organic farmers.

You see, “Natural” is an undefined term, at least from a regualtory perspective. Which means products labeled “Natural” will enjoy the Horizon aura of health, but cost far less to manufacture, reaping a hefty profit to Horizon.

The first products are toddler yogurts, called Little Blends, and are expected to roll out later this month. Milk Breakers, a boxed vanilla / chocolate drink is slated for later this year.

According to Horizon, their natural products will be produced “without added hormones, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or high fructose corn syrup.” [source: LA Times]

What you need to know:

This is a great marketing move by Dean Foods, the mega dairy corporation that acquired Horizon back in 2003. In professional lingo this is called brand extension. You take the well known spotted cow logo of Horizon Organic and plaster it on new line of products.

What’s deceptive here, is that the new product line is NOT organic. The amorphous “all natural” claim is not defined by the FDA or USDA, although a  an FDA spokeswoman said “the agency does not object to using the term on food labels ‘in a manner that is truthful and not misleading’ and if the product has no added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

But this is too open ended. For example, High Fructose Corn Syrup is considered by some manufacturers as a natural product, because it is made from corn.

“All natural” foods are one of the fastest growing product categories in the US in the past year. It’s no wonder all the big manufacturers are jumping on board. It’s great for sales, because it lets consumers feel good about their choice, even with no real backing.

At the end of the day, this move will deteriorate even further consumer perception of differences between organic and natural food. This ultimately hurts organic farmers, who are already struggling in a tough economy.

Horizon has previously been called out for production practices claimed to be out of line with organic principles. It seems that the bigger you grow as a company, the harder it is to adhere to your original beliefs and principles.

And don’t get us started on toddler yogurts. What’s the problem with junior enjoying a regular yogurt? Is it caffeinated? Does it have alcoholic content? But that’s the subject for another post.

What to do at the supermarket:

Don’t get duped by “Natural” labels. They do not necessarily mean the product is healthy for you. If you want no growth hormones, antibiotics, and free pastured cows, you’ll have to cough up the cash to pay for the more expensive organic products.

And if you are buying conventional, look beyond the front of package marketing hype and read the nutrition panel carefully. Look at daily values for nutrients and examine the ingredient list.  A high amount of fat and sugar in a product may count as natural, but they definitely do not make it a healthy food.

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One of the most popular claims on food packaging in the past few years is “Natural”. From sugary snacks to TV dinners to drinks, you’ll find this unregulated term appear on processed food-like products that are as far from being natural as Manhattan is from the Grand Canyon. But since the FDA did not define when and how the term should be used, it has become a very easy to lure consumers with the associated health auro.

No surprise then to find that liquid candy, aka soft drinks, are joining the Natural Revolution:

Vice president of Sprite and flavors at Coca-Cola North America Santiago Blanco said: “The introduction of this new formulation and the new look of the Fanta line are part of our ongoing efforts to reinvigorate the sparkling beverage category in the US.”

Read article…

What you need to know:

Natural does NOT mean healthy. In soft drinks, natural means that high fructose corn syrup has been replaced with sugar. Lots of sugar, that your body definitely doesn’t need.

Switching from artificial food dyes to natural colorings is to be commended, but then we ask, why did Coke been use artificial colorings all these years in the first place? [Answer: it was fractions of a cent cheaper per bottle, never mind the disturbing medical research]

What to do at the supermarket:

Our steadfast advice -  save your family of 4 over $500 a year by skipping the beverage aisles at the supermarket and learning to enjoy water. It’s cheaper, healthier, and lets the flavors of your home cooked meal express themselves best.

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flickr photo: kthread

Organic food gets a nice seal of approval from the USDA that we can all see on the package. And meats imported from abroad must be labeled with their country of origin. (COOL Legislation).

But some markings on foods are not regulated at all. The most common is the “Natural” label which has been slapped on every kind of food imaginable.it is meaningless in that “natural” in no way means “healthy”.

The latest trend is to mark foods as “local”. But what does local mean? Fresher, Tastier, Healthier, and Better for planet Earth? The Guardian, a well respected UK newspaper, asks, and immediately answers:

What you need to know:

Food manufacturers and supermarkets have one goal – to sell us as much as possible. The creative marketing people working for these corporations have a keen sense for what is popular with the public. And they know very well to translate it into messages that play all the right chords on our mind.

Low-fat was a big hit, then low-carb. Organic is huge, despite a current blow due to the faltering economy.

And Local has now become the flavor de jour. Never mind the little discrepancies, such as the food actually arriving from hundreds of miles away, or stored for 6 months in chillers, or picked from a nearby orchard but shipped halfway across the country to a sorting and washing facility.

What to do at the supermarket:

As Mark Bittman, cookbook author and NY Times food writer explains:

You can’t trust the supermarket companies to sell you only good, wholesome food. Yet they’ll try to convince you that everything they sell is exactly that. So: skip the [marketing] labels, watch what you buy, and strive for goodness, no matter where you find it.

Keep this in mind the next time you shop at the supermarket. Or, try a farmers market nearby. It’s springtime and there should be one open near you every weekend.

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Starting this Sunday, Meijer is offering health conscious consumers a new line of store brand products called “Meijer Naturals”.

In a press release, Meijer detailed its gameplan:

[Meijer Naturals] was created to provide a healthy and tasty alternative for customers who seek wholesome foods that are minimally processed and contain nothing artificial.

“Meijer Naturals is a natural fit for us, and a great fit for those who lead a smart and active lifestyle where healthy living and eating are paramount,” said Ralph Fischer, group vice president-foods at Meijer.  “This is an exciting brand that we feel today’s shopper will embrace given that it’s delicious, wholesome and a great value.”

Read the entire press release [Reuters]…

There will be 75 products in the lineup, from snacks and sauces to desserts and beverages, priced 10-15% lower than comparable national brands.

According to Meijer, the products will NOT contain:
- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
- high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- artificial sweeteners
- added hydrogenated oils or trans fats
- artificial food colorings or flavorings
- artificial preservatives

What you need to know:

Meijer is a regional chain with 185 stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.

Two years ago the retailer launched an organic line, and this is dubbed the sister line. At a time where organic may be too expensive, this seems like a smart marketing move by Meijer.

Since there is no definition for what “Natural” means (at least not by the FDA), Meijer took the liberty of defining it themselves.

Keep in mind that natural does not necessarily means healthy. Potato chips are all natural. Sugar, butter, and salt are all natural, but best consumed sparingly. Cyanide is also natural…you get the drift.

What to do at the supermarket:

As always, don’t trust health claims on boxes and don’t get blinded by shiny packages. Take a look at the ingredient list and nutrition panel before deciding if a product is truly healthy for you or not.

If any of our loyal readers in the Michigan area can get their hands on some new products and email us pictures including the nutrition panel, we’ll be happy to help you analyze the data and see just how healthy the natural line really is.

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Consumer Reports

The February 2009 issue of Consumer Reports on Health has a good writeup entitled Grocery-aisle gotchas. The erstwhile consumer information powerhouse has

put together a guide (see links, below) to some of the most confusing label claims. We’ve also looked at new labeling rules and trends that can make it easier for you to choose among products. And because food labeling still has a long way to go, we offer our take on what should be on a label—but sometimes isn’t.

While the list of gotchas is not comprehensive, it certainly illustrates how in every aisle of the supermarket good marketing helps consumers feel like they are eating healthfully when in fact they may be buying junk food in disguise. Here are the links to various topics discussed in the article:

Organic

Natural

Whole grains, cage-free

Health ratings

Made with, serving size

Health claims, nutritional claims

What should be on a label

What to do at the supermarket:

Ignore the health claims and go straight for the ingredient list and nutrition label. Even then, be suspicious of serving sizes that are too small, and ingredient lists longer than a Stephen King novel. By keeping to the supermarket perimeter and buying mostly unprocessed foods, you wont even need to read nutrition labels (fruits, vegetables..)

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If you’re like most Americans, you consume over 60 pounds of beef a year. That’s a lot of T-bones and burgers. Do you know where your meat came from? Was the cow treated with antibiotics and growth hormones? Was it treated humanely? Do you care?

A growing number of consumers are interested in answers to the questions above. Whether the reasons are health related, ethical, or just plain flavor oriented, we all have a right to know what we’re putting in our mouth.

You’ve probably seen some the following labels at the butcher counter:

grass fed, grass finished, grain finished, organic, natural, humanely raised

What do they mean? Don’t really know? Turns out many of the professionals packing up the cuts for you behind the counter don’t really know either. Nor does the waiter at your favorite restaurant.

A helpful article in The Oregonian helps shed some light on the different kinds of  labels out there: Read more…

The USDA on Friday approved the use of a new marketing claim for livestock – “Naturally Raised”. Here’s the beef from the USDA press release:

The naturally raised marketing claim standard states that livestock used for the production of meat and meat products have been raised entirely without growth promotants, antibiotics (except for ionophores used as coccidiostats for parasite control), and have never been fed animal by-products. The voluntary standard will establish the minimum requirements for those producers who choose to operate a USDA-verified program involving a naturally raised claim. USDA analyzed over 44,000 comments from producers, processors, consumers, and other interested parties in the development of this standard.

Consumer advocacy groups Consumers Union (CU) and Food & Water Watch (FWW) are all over this:

“This regulation will allow an animal that has come from a cloned or genetically engineered stock, was physically altered, raised in confinement without ever seeing the light of day or green of pasture, in poor hygiene conditions with a diet laced in pesticides to be labeled as ‘naturally raised.’ This falls significantly short of consumer expectations and only adds to the roster of misleading label claims approved by USDA for so-called natural meat,” said Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst at Consumers Union.

Their recommendation:

CU and FWW said, aiming to ban antibiotics, animal byproducts, and growth promotants are all important practices that should be labeled specifically and discreetly and not couched under a vague and misleading term that does not address how the animals were raised, their main diet, treatment of animals, space requirements and other concerns.

What you need to know:

Is this a last minute directives published by political appointees just prior to becoming unemployed? We hope not.

The USDA has been working on this issue for some time. However, that does not turn this directive into something in the best interest of consumers.

People want to know they are eating food that is good for them. The terms “natural” and “naturally raised” are supposed to reassure us that a product is better, safer, and perhaps healthier. Marketers know that, and have been pushing to get approval for such claims for quite a while.
The problem is that it is impossible to define today what naturally raised means. Contrary to the image above, most animals grown for slaughter, live in cells, and eat corn instead of what their ruminant stomach was designed for (grass). However, they are now considered naturally grown by the USDA.
There’s a whole bunch of other unnatural things done to animals so we can enjoy our steak, ham, or lamb chop. Most of us are totally unaware of what goes on behind the scenes.

Without getting in between PETA and the cattlemen’s association here, one thing is certain – marketing hype sells.

What to do at the supermarket:

Do yourself a favor and don’t be bothered reading marketing labels. In processed meat products, stick to the ingredient list and the nutrition panel. There may probably be worse things lurking in there than traces of this or that antibiotic (high levels of saturated fat and sodium, for example). And when buying a cut of meat labeled “naturally grown”, keep in mind that this is not the “nature” type of “natural” we like to imagine, but more of a marketing shtick.

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An interesting article from Food Navigator USA:

Food manufacturers are avoiding using the term natural because consumers have lost trust in the claim due to a lack of clear regulation in the US, according to a Packaged Facts report. Read Full Article

What you need to know:

Many product ingredients are natural, but that does not mean they are necessarily healthy. Butter is all natural, but best eaten in moderation. Things get a bit fuzzier when a natural product is processed into something a bit different, such as in the case of high fructose corn syrup, used today as an equivalent to refined table sugar.

What to look for in the supermarket:

As usual, look for minimally processed foods. The shorter the ingredient list, the less chances are of finding either natural or artificial additives we really don’t need.

photo credit: Mouse Print

An interesting post from the Mouse Print blog regarding Skippy’s new Natural Peanut Butter including sugar, salt, and palm oil. What’s new here?

the recipe is like regular Skippy: peanuts, sugar, oil, and salt. read more…

What you should know:

Peanut butter can be made with just peanuts and a touch of peanut oil. See this Homemade peanut butter recipe with only 2 ingredients. Added sugar, salt, emulsifiers and stabilizers are superfluous.

What to look for in the supermarket:

Check the food label and try to find the PB with the least amount of ingredients (hint: 1).