Less Food Labeling?

In November, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled “Some Food Companies Ditch ‘Natural’ Food Label”. While this has not necessarily been the center of attention lately, especially not in Central Illinois with the recent tornado damage, it is relevant to everyone who eats food that comes from the grocery store. Basically, many food companies are choosing to remove the “natural” label from their products (think Naked juice or Goldfish). There have been lawsuits over the “natural” claim that say that there is no guidelines behind the label, so literally anyone can use the label on their product if they choose to do so.

In case you’re not an avid reader of the Wall Street Journal (nor forced to read it for a politics class), here’s the link to the article that was published about a month ago now.

I’ve blogged about labeling before (see “Are We OVER-Labeling” for more), and it seems that the American public is thinking along the same lines as I do. Labeling is not a bad thing, it’s just when we have too many labels or labels that have few to no requirements is when it gets confusing. Labeling has become more of a marketing tactic, sometimes even going so far to point out the obvious to make one brand look better than another. For instance, whole grain popcorn: ALL popcorn is whole grain, so why does it need to be pointed out?

I like what is happening with companies choosing to remove labels such as “natural”. There is no specific definition behind the “natural” label (in food terms), therefore it doesn’t really signify much beyond being a flashy word that entices consumers. Anybody could put the “natural” label on their product. But the consumers have begun to complain and the food industry must cater to their customers.

All in all, this is a move in the right direction to simplify agriculture and the food industry for the consumer. While labels can be helpful, mis-labeling and over-labeling can be misleading to the consumer, who rightfully just wants the facts concerning their food. Transparency in agriculture is key, and I hope we see more specific guidelines for labels in the future.