Liz On Food

"Natural" Labeling Claims

Natural potato chips, natural chicken, natural granola, natural beef, natural milk, natural yogurt... plenty of foods are marketed as natural. So what's behind the claim, asks one of my stepdaughter's friends. Well, I suppose that depends on the food, ingredient and agency.

I've heard plenty of folks state categorically that natural doesn't mean a thing because the term isn't regulated. That's not quite the case, but regulatory aspects of the term are, to say the least, a little fuzzy. Add to that the complications of a competitive marketplace, with the organic arena weighing in that the "natural" moniker has little meaning and with other commercial interests trying to tighten the reins on what's allowed under the claim of "natural." Marketplace developments (new products, boycotts, changing consumer preferences, etc.) as well as legal activity, including regulatory action (or lack of action) and lawsuits, have put the natural labeling issue in the press off and on for the past two years.

At the federal level in the United States, the regulations and enforcement for use of the term "natural" are split between two agencies: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

FDA - A Look at "Natural" and High-Fructose Corn Syrup

The FDA has not formally defined the term “natural," but does regulate use of the term as opposed to terms “synthetic” or “artificial" as they specifically apply to flavoring and coloring agents. In 1993,the FDA offered informal policy indicating that “natural” means “nothing artificial or synthetic has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in the food."

In a case of marketplace competition, the Sugar Association has taken the Corn Refiners Association to task over use of the term "natural" with high-fructose corn syrup. In July 2008, the FDA sent a letter to the Corn Refiners Association indicating that the agency would not object to use of the term "natural" being on a product containing high-fructose corn syrup produced by a process the Corn Refiners Association refers to as "commonly employed in the corn refining industry." In the letter, the FDA indicated its long-standing policy on use of the term "natural" for ingredients was on a case-by-case basis.

In 2007, a woman, Stacy Hulk, filed a class action lawsuit in New Jersey against Snapple. The case alleged that Snapple violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act by labeling its product "All Natural," though it contained high-fructose corn syrup. In September 2009, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an earlier lower federal court ruling, indicating the FDA labeling regulations did not pre-empt state law. Snapple revised its formula in late 2008, replacing high fructose corn syrup with sugar.

Organic Versus Natural

Certified organic products, regulated through the USDA's National Organic Program, continue to sell well. However, a nationally representative survey published in June by the Shelton Group found that  Americans chose "natural" over "organic" when asked, "Which is the best product description to read on a label?"

• "100% natural" -- 31 percent
• "All natural ingredients" -- 25 percent
• "100% organic" -- 14 percent
• "Certified organic ingredients" -- 12 percent

That point, as well as lower costs of non-organic ingredients, hasn't been lost on Dean Foods, which owns White Wave and Horizon. White Wave recently replaced organic soy beans with natural soy beans in all but three of its Silk Soymilk products. Natural Foods Merchandiser reported in July that Horizon introduced two new product lines, Little Blends, a yogurt for toddlers, and Milk Breakers, single servings of milk, both of which are marketed as "natural" but not certified organic. That has raised the ire of some organic consumer activists, including the Organic Consumers Association, which has called for a boycott of both White Wave and Horizon.

USDA - Regulations Currently Under Review

USDA FSIS does regulate use of the term "natural" as it applies to meat and poultry. Meat and poultry labeled as natural must be free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and ingredients that do not occur naturally in the food. On September 14, 2009, the USDA announced that it would solicit further public comment regarding the voluntary claim "natural" to be used in the labeling of meat and poultry products.The USDA current definition is outlined in the Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book:

The term “natural” may be used on labeling for meat products and poultry products, provided the applicant for such labeling demonstrates that:

(1) the product does not contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, or chemical preservative (as defined in 21 CFR 101.22), or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient; and (2) the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed. Minimal processing may include: (a) those traditional processes used to make food edible or to preserve it or to make it safe for human consumption, e.g., smoking, roasting, freezing, drying, and fermenting, or (b) those physical processes which do not fundamentally alter the raw product and/or which only separate a whole, intact food into component parts, e.g., grinding meat, separating eggs into albumen and yolk, and pressing fruits to produce juices.

Since 2006, FSIS has received a couple of petitions requesting action with regard to "natural"claims. The FSIS has reported the receipt of numerous comments expressing:

Divergent views on what the claim "natural'' as applied to meat and poultry products should mean and, in general, focused on particular ingredients, processing methods, and animal production practices that individual commenters felt should or should not be permitted for meat or poultry products labeled as "natural"...

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.

To improve the focus of public input, FSIS has requested comments on several issues:

• The Need for Rulemaking
• Sodium Lactate and Other "Multi-Functional'' Ingredients and Food Safety
• Separate Claims for "Natural'' Products and "Natural Ingredients"
• "Non-Traditional'' Food Processing Methods
• "Enhanced'' Products
• "Natural'' and Animal Production Conditions
• Establish a Uniform Federal Definition of "Natural''
• Carbon Monoxide

Comments to the FSIS are due Friday, November 13, 2009. Stay tuned, we're bound to see some changes with federal labeling regulations related to the term "natural."

U.S. Hunger During the Recession

One in 8 Americans struggles with hunger, and the recession continues to take its toll. The US Department of Agriculture reports that more than 35 million Americans received food stamps in June 2009, up 22 percent from June 2008. That's a new record for food stamp participation and the trend tends to track with unemployment rates.

Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), a leading anti-hunger advocacy group states:

Very simply, hunger is defined as the uneasy or painful sensation caused by lack of food. When we talk about hunger in America, we refer to the ability of people to obtain sufficient food for their household. Some people may find themselves skipping meals or cutting back on the quality or quantity of food they purchase at the stores.

The housing crisis appears to have a significant impact on food intake for those losing homes due to foreclosure. A recent study of 250 Philadelphia homeowners facing foreclosure, almost 60 percent reported skipping meals because they couldn't afford food. Among the group, over half indicated being depressed, 37 percent had major depression and nearly half said they couldn't afford prescription drugs.

U.S. groups disproportionately affected by hunger include children, especially in homes with single parents, African Americans and Hispanics. FRAC reports the ten states with the highest food insecurity rates are Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Maine, South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, according to USDA 2007 data.

September is Hunger Action Month, and Feeding America has developed an online calculator to show how giving up a little could translate into meals for hungry people in the United States. So far the graph shows that the top three things site responders would be willing to give up are lunch out, dessert and gossip magazines. I'd dump gossip magazines in a heart beat over giving up dessert!

Our family recently made a donation to Share Our Strength during an anti-hunger Twitter-fest. If you're considering making a donation to address hunger in America, consider contributing to your local food bank. Or check out these prominent anti-hunger and anti-poverty groups:

Share Our Strength

Feeding America (Formerly America's Second Harvest)

Catholic Charities USA

Interfaith Alliance

Food Research and Action Center

Children's Defense Fund

Trees Down on the Farm

Some very surprising research about agricultural land and tree cover came out of the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry being held in Nairobi, Kenya, this week.

"Although agriculture, particularly in the developing world, is often associated with massive deforestation, scientists from the World Agroforestry Centre demonstrated today, in a study using detailed satellite imagery, that almost half of all farmed landscapes worldwide include significant tree cover."

More information can be found here: World Agroforestry Centre.

How Organic are Foods Labeled Organic?

Inquiring legislative minds in Washington, DC, want to know just how organic those organically-labeled foods really are. The Washington Post reports on July 10, 2009:

A House agriculture appropriations bill that passed yesterday includes $500,000 for the inspector general to investigate the U.S. Agriculture Department's National Organic Program to determine whether federal standards are being properly observed before farmers and food producers are allowed to use the USDA-certified label on food products.

Adequate funding for monitoring of organic production and processing practices is key to ensuring that consumers get what they pay for when purchasing certified organic products, particularly because organic products often come with a price premium. I don't know how far a $.5 million will go to investigate the monitoring of farms and processing plants domestically and internationally, but it's a good sign that the House requesting at least some funding.

Stay tuned, the Senate version of the the bill does not yet include the same budget item.

American Dietetic Association advocates for health-care reform and natural resource conservation

On July 9, 2009, ADA president and registered dietitian Jessie M. PavIinac issued the following statement:

In these amazing times, with real reform of the nation's health-care system a clear possibility, opportunities are endless for registered dietitians in keeping the public we serve healthy.

One of American Dietetic Association's key tenets is that every American has a fundamental right to the best quality of health care available, and that this right includes access to healthy food from a sustainable food supply. ADA takes this stance seriously and it forms the basis of much of our policy work. ADA has been continuously active in the health reform debates in Congress and throughout our country, delivering the message that nutrition is the foundation of health and the cornerstone of prevention.

ADA is focusing new attention on nutrition by addressing topics at the cutting edge of the field, including nutrigenomics, obesity prevention, and issues of food systems and sustainability. ADA believes strongly it can achieve the vision of a healthier nation by ensuring its registered dietitians are well trained and actively working in these areas.

In addition, ADA's position paper, Food and Nutrition Professionals Can Implement Practices to Conserve Natural Resources and Support Ecological Sustainability, strongly encourages environmentally responsible practices that conserve natural resources, minimize the quantity of waste generated, and support the ecological sustainability of the food system-the process of food production, transformation, distribution, access and consumption.

While the American Dietetic Association welcomes the involvement of other health associations in this area, it is not a new arena for ADA. As Congress debated and designed current food and agricultural policies, ADA endorsed changes which would benefit Americans and people worldwide. ADA has supported new approaches in the development, production and marketing of food that better satisfies and sustains human health, addresses hunger and malnutrition, and seeks to improve food safety, environmental quality, and resource conservation and protection.

In addition, the American Dietetic Association is a champion for food, nutrition and agricultural research. As a nation, we need to invest now in federal research so that we have knowledge and solutions to keep people and our planet healthy. ADA advocates for U.S. food and agricultural policies to ensure a sustainable food supply that is safe, nutritious, affordable and better suited for the health of Americans and the planet.

The nation's natural resource base should remain viable for use and capable of meeting peoples' food and water needs far into the future. To make tangible progress, ADA supports stronger, more effective food assistance programs, additional food and agricultural research, reforms in food safety and inspection, investment in public nutrition information and education, and the removal of farm program barriers to better diets.

The American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

New Report Finds Obesity Rates Continue to Rise

Americans' waistlines continue to expand, according to a new report. Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, issued July 1, 2009, by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Sixteen states experienced an increase two years in a row, and 11 states experienced an increase for the third straight year.

For the fifth year in a row, Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity, at 32.5 percent this past year. Four states now have rates above 30 percent, including Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee. Eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of obese adults are in the South. Colorado continued to have the lowest percentage of obese adults at 18.9 percent.

Mississippi also experienced the highest rate of obese and overweight children (ages 10 to 17) at 44.4 percent. Minnesota and Utah had the lowest rate at 23.1 percent. Again the concentration is in the South, with eight of the 10 states ranked among the highest rates of obese and overweight children.

Along with rankings of state obesity rates, the F as in Fat report reviews of federal and state government policies aimed at reducing or preventing obesity. Some additional key findings include:

• The current economic crisis could exacerbate the obesity epidemic. Food prices, particularly for more nutritious foods, are expected to rise, making it more difficult for families to eat healthy foods. At the same time, safety-net programs and services are becoming increasingly overextended as the numbers of unemployed, uninsured and underinsured continue to grow. In addition, due to the strain of the recession, rates of depression, anxiety and stress, which are linked to obesity for many individuals, also are increasing.
  
  
• Nineteen states now have nutritional standards for school lunches, breakfasts and snacks that are stricter than current USDA requirements. Five years ago, only four states had legislation requiring stricter standards.
  
  
• Twenty-seven states have nutritional standards for competitive foods sold a la carte, in vending machines, in school stores or in school bake sales. Five years ago, only six states had nutritional standards for competitive foods.
  
  
• Twenty states have passed requirements for body mass index (BMI) screenings of children and adolescents or have passed legislation requiring other forms of weight-related assessments in schools. Five years ago, only four states had passed screening requirements.
  
  
• A recent analysis commissioned by TFAH found that the Baby Boomer generation has a higher rate of obesity compared with previous generations. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, obesity-related costs to Medicare and Medicaid are likely to grow significantly because of the large number of people in this population and its high rate of obesity.