The lack of a unified definition of the term "natural" has left the door wide open to abuses and misinterpretation, sometimes leaving consumers vulnerable to dishonest marketing practices. Now the US Department of Agriculture is seeking to remedy that, soliciting comments on the issue. Also up for debate is whether or not there even should be a definition of "natural" at all.
The last time the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) considered the labeling of meat products that claim to be natural, in December 2006, its Federal Register notice prompted 12,000 comments, many of them expressing concern about the use of seasonings, flavoring and tenderizing solutions in products labeled as ‘natural’. In addition, many of the comments disagreed that the FSIS should come up with a clear definition.
In the current notice, FSIS said: “The comments indicate that there is an overall lack of consensus on both the general or common understanding of what the claim ‘natural’ means to the industry and to the public and on the approach that FSIS should take to address issues associated with the use of ‘natural’ claims on the labels of meat and poultry products.
“Nonetheless, FSIS has concluded that a further solicitation of comments could produce information that would help to clarify and resolve the issues surrounding the ‘natural’ claim.”
The FSIS specifically also said it is seeking comments on whether it should establish a definition for the word ‘natural’. This is opposed to considering claims on a case-by-case basis and then requiring manufacturers to explain why their product qualifies for the claim on the label.
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