Food & Agriculture

CFA Asks FDA to Clear Up Confusion Surrounding “Natural” Labeling

In response to a request for information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding use of the term “natural” on food labels, Consumer Federation of America has recommended that FDA address consumer confusion between “natural” foods and USDA certified organic products. As CFA’s letter notes, survey data shows that consumers consistently confuse the two terms, mistakenly believing that “natural” products are made without the use of toxic pesticides or of genetically modified organisms. Many consumers also believe that there are no differences between “natural” and certified organic food. In fact, the two designations reflect important differences. To clear up the confusion, and protect public investment in the certified organic label, CFA recommends that FDA require “natural” foods to meet organic certification standards, or alternatively, to require “natural” foods labels to disclose that they do not meet organic certification requirements.