'Natural' Will Remain Undefined, Says FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no plans in the near future to establish a definition of the term “natural,” saying it has other priorities for its limited resources.

A lack of a uniform approach to the term has resulted in inconsistent product claims, consumer confusion, and even lawsuits against food companies accused of misleading consumers.

FDA last year received two petitions requesting it to clearly define the term, in order to avoid such problems.

One was sent by the trade group Sugar Association, in an effort to carve out a more distinct role for sugar as the ideal “natural” sweetener source.

The second petition was sent by Sara Lee, a leader in the U.S. market for baked goods, which claimed that a formal definition would provide consistency for consumers and manufacturers alike.

Although FDA has not formally responded to the petitions, FoodNavigator-USA.com has learned that the agency will not be considering the issue in the near future because "we're not sure how high of an issue it is for consumers".

Read the full FoodNavigatorUSA.com story here.