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What
a "Natural" Label Really Means
Ask ten different people what
"natural" on a food label means and you’ll likely
hear ten different answers. But almost everyone will probably
indicate that the food is healthier. People are usually surprised
– and maybe even a little indignant – to discover that
for most foods, "natural" on the label can be nutritionally
insignificant.
Natural vs. Healthy and Organic:
Consumers often think
that "natural" means "healthy" or "organic,"
but it does not. According to the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), which regulates most food label claims, "natural"
means a product does not contain artificial ingredients. For
meat and poultry, which are regulated by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA), a natural food label means that the product
was minimally processed without adding artificial ingredients,
such as flavors, colors, and preservatives. |
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For a food to have "healthy"
on its label, the FDA has explicit limits on the amount of fat,
saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium it contains. Also, a "healthy"
food must supply a significant amount of at least one of several
important nutrients. "Organic" is a claim regulated
by the USDA, which has specific criteria about the source of
a food’s ingredients.
What "natural" does
not mean: Some people
assume that a food labeled "natural" is low in sodium
but salt is a natural ingredient. "Natural" potato
chips are often as high in sodium as other versions. If you want
to find lower-sodium foods, look for the claim "low sodium,"
which means mostly no more than 140 milligrams of sodium per
serving. Products labeled "reduced sodium" are generally
not that low, but have cut at least 25 percent of the sodium
found in the standard product. A "reduced sodium" claim
is only reduced compared to the company’s original product;
it does not mean it’s 25 percent lower than other companies’
versions.
"Natural" on the label
isn’t any help if you’re looking for a heart-healthy
food either. Given that the fat in butter and meat is natural,
a food can be loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol and still
be "natural." Instead, look for the "healthy"
claim, or words like "low in saturated fat" (no more
than one gram per standard serving) or at least "reduced
saturated fat" (a minimum of 25 percent lower than the original
product).
A food labeled "natural"
also has nothing to do with its sugar content. Just as salt is
natural, sugar is too, because nothing artificial is added during
processing from its original form in sugar cane or beets. Rules
about sweetening from high fructose corn syrup have been controversial.
Currently, FDA regulations allow a label of "natural"
as long as the high fructose corn syrup is produced without adding
synthetic ingredients.
For meat and poultry, a "natural" label does not rule
out other added ingredients that can change nutrient content,
including dried beef stock, yeast, and partially broken down
proteins (such as hydrolyzed soy protein or hydrolyzed whey protein).
"Natural" as a label on meat and poultry has nothing
to do with how the animal was raised or fed. Also, the USDA allows
the term "natural" on processed meats because smoking
and salting are not adding synthetic ingredients.
Focusing on what you want:
The term "natural"
may sound like the embodiment of everything you want in a food
to promote good health, but it does not address recommendations
to limit saturated fat and sodium or to include whole grains
and other foods supplying dietary fiber. Keep your focus on what
you really want as you shop, and look for the label claims that
can help you. |
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