"NATURAL" CLAIM OF BIG COMPANIES BEING CONTESTED

It has been reported that Walmart is among the dozens of companies that have been sued this year for claiming products were "all-natural." FDA which is due to specify what the term “natural” means in commercial matters.  

Herbally Radiant has been promoting natural skin care products and has been monitoring the deceptive marketing tricks by companies to raise their sales by branding their products as “natural”.  The misleading branding is mostly in so-called “natural” cosmetics and skin care products even when their chemical content far exceeds the permissible limit. The consumers are not in a position to know the fact in the absence of ingredients on the labels.

Food has direct bearing on the state of skin, and it is important that the word “natural” is not used to mislead consumers, some of whom have sued Walmart over its “all-natural” pita chips, which contain thiamine mononitrate and folic acid, made synthetically.

Sargento, the dairy giant, has been sued because the cows behind its “natural” cheeses are given genetically modified feed. HINT, the maker of “all-natural” fruit-flavored waters, has been used for using a common solvent to boost the drink’s taste.

Nineteen all-natural class actions have been filed this year, as of July 2017, there were only 27 such suits in 2016. The law suits claim that "natural" labels tricked shoppers into buying a more expensive cheese — or flavored water, or pita chip — by deceiving them about how the product was made.

According to a 2016 survey by Consumer Reports, 73 percent of consumers seek out products with the “natural” label. But many erroneously believe it indicates a food does not contain synthetic, highly processed or genetically modified ingredients, when in fact there are no clear rules for what “natural” is and isn’t.

Unofficially, the FDA says it expects natural foods to have “nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives, regardless of source)” added.

Till the “natural” term is defined officially, it would be wise for the consumers to exercise caution and satisfy themselves about the genuine naturalness of the product they eat or apply on the skin.