Consumer Reports magazine in the United States says
the “natural” label on food is meaningless.
Typically consumers think it means the food has no
artificial flavouring or colouring and that it contains no genetically-modified
ingredients.
None of that is true, says Consumer Reports. But it is partially true in Canada.
Because the label means nothing, yet misleads so many
people, Consumer Reports has launched a petition to have “natural” banned from
food labels.
In May, Kellogg’s stopped using “all natural” on its
Kashi cereal labels as part of an out-of-court settlement of a class-action
lawsuit.
There are some rules in Canada.
The Canadian
Food Inspection Agency says that foods can only be represented as natural if
they have never contained an added vitamin, nutrient, artificial flavour or
food additive.
The food
also needs to be in its original form and can’t have been processed
significantly.
But
companies are allowed to use a “natural ingredients” label in cases where
products contain some natural ingredients.
Carly
Weeks of the Globe and Mail writes that “this could easily give consumers the
false impression that all ingredients in the product are natural.
“And
consumers should also keep in mind that ‘natural’ ingredients aren’t necessarily
an indication of their nutritional value.
“A product
made with all-natural ingredients can contain high amounts of fat, sugar and/or
sodium, which can lead to health problems if consumed in excess,” Weeks writes.
