Natural & Organic Labels Confuse Consumers

Jennifer Polanz & Allison Westbrook

What does a “natural” label on a food product mean? As it turns out … not too much. Per a new survey by Consumer Reports, although there’s no official standard as to what qualifies a product as “natural,” consumers ascribe all sorts of benefits to this naming convention—antibiotic-free, non-GMO, pesticide-free and free of artificial colors.

While an organic designation does mean all of that, the labeling term “natural” does not. However, due to this misinterpretation and the higher cost of organic food, more consumers purchase “natural” food as opposed to organic foods: 73% versus 58%. Consumer education groups, such as Consumer Reports, are lobbying the FDA to either define this label or eliminate it completely, citing confusion and mis-attribution of benefits to these products by consumers. GP