No one seems to know what’s natural anymore. While the definition of “organic” was clarified by the long-awaited USDA Organic Rule in 2002, the rules governing what’s natural remain so vague that even large manufacturers who freely use the word on their packaging are now asking the USDA what it means.
In December 2006, responding to a petition filed by the Hormel Foods Corp., the USDA announced that it will rewrite its rules governing the use of the word "natural" in product labeling. Current USDA labeling rules for the word “natural” date back to 1982 and allow product labeling to use the term if it contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients and is minimally processed (cured, dehydrated, smoked, roasted, fermented or frozen.)
However, in 2005 the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a regulatory arm of the USDA, began rewriting the rules on a case-by-case basis, allowing sugar, sodium lacate (a derivative of corn syrup, which is made from the partial hydrolysis of corn starch) and “natural flavorings” from oleoresins (a mixture of resins and extracts) to be included in products such as prepackaged lunchmeats labeled as “natural.”
The FSIS has already officially rewritten the 24-year-old rules, allowing a special exception permitting chemical preservatives in Kraft Food Inc.’s Oscar Mayer prepackaged lunchmeats labeled as “natural.”
We believe "natural" is a kind of half-step on the way to organic. We don’t want to see food labeling laws watered down to accommodate large manufacturers who are not willing to meet the same standards of “natural” that smaller producers are required to meet.
At its best, the term “natural” is intended to allow ranchers, farmers and producers to take baby steps away from over processing and begin to move toward a healthier way of food production. For some, that road can even lead to full organic certification.
We welcome this shift in thinking and believe in supporting those who are serious about altering their methods of production. Clearly defined and authentic natural labeling laws are a way to distinguish those who are serious from those who are just trying to grab a hold of the market without taking serious steps toward improving the health of our food supply and those who consume it.
What can you do?
Great question! Below is the contact information for Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith. Write, email or call and let them know you think it’s important to protect the definition of “natural” in food labeling laws, just as it was important to stand up for “organic” when those rules were being written.
You can familiarize yourself with other government agencies that are accountable for the health and safety of our food supply, as well as the consumer groups who are working to defend it, by visiting our Government Agencies and Sustainable Farming pages.
