FDA Requests Public Comments on Use of the Term "Natural"

11 Nov 2015 --- Because of the changing landscape of food ingredients and production, and in direct response to consumers who have requested that the FDA explore the use of the term “natural,” the US FDA is asking the public to provide information and comments on the use of this term in the labeling of human food products.

The FDA is taking this action in part because it received three Citizen Petitions asking that the agency define the term “natural” for use in food labeling and one Citizen Petition asking that the agency prohibit the term “natural” on food labels. The FDA alsod note that some Federal courts, as a result of litigation between private parties, have requested administrative determinations from the FDA regarding whether food products containing ingredients produced using genetic engineering or foods containing high fructose corn syrup may be labeled as “natural.”

Although the FDA has not engaged in rulemaking to establish a formal definition for the term “natural,” we do have a longstanding policy concerning the use of “natural” in human food labeling. The FDA has considered the term “natural” to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic  (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.  However, this policy was not intended to address food production methods, such as the use of pesticides, nor did it explicitly address food processing or manufacturing methods, such as thermal technologies, pasteurization, or irradiation. The FDA also did not consider whether the term “natural” should describe any nutritional or other health benefit.  

 Specifically, the FDA asks for information and public comment on questions such as:
•Whether it is appropriate to define the term “natural,”
•If so, how the agency should define “natural,” and
•How the agency should determine appropriate use of the term on food labels.

The FDA is accepting public comments beginning on November 12, 2015. 

A recent online research study of 1,005 US consumers conducted by Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) found that one in three consumers do not make a quality distinction between the terms “natural” and “organic” and/or government regulation for products with such labels. Other findings from the study confirmed more confusion in the marketplace with the term “natural.” Common misconceptions include the belief that most vitamins come from natural sources and that “natural” means no pesticides are used. And while three-fourths of consumers perceive that organic foods must be at least 95 percent free from synthetic additives, almost two-thirds of consumers expect the same standard from “natural” foods.