"Natural" Is Vague
What does it mean when you buy a "natural" product?
Courtesy of www.greenhome.huddle.com
Continuing with the theme of decoding food and product labels, let's take a look at what it means to be a "natural" product.
Guess what folks, it's complicated.
Unlike with an organic product, the federal government has not created a standard definition for a "natural" product, which is why I add quotation marks, even though they are slightly irritating.
To make a long—and confusing—story short: "natural" can mean whatever the user wants it to. Unless something on the package helps you understand what "natural" means for a particular food item or product, you cannot be sure that the product contains no pesticides, hormones, toxins or any other byproduct you wish to avoid.
Many companies have been slapped by greenwash watchdoggers for misusing the term "natural"—like S.C. Johnson, Horizon Organics, and Clorox, to name a few.
Unfortunately, until we have a standard definition for what this label means, "natural" is in the eye of the beholder and you should proceed with caution.
