"All Natural"

Going to the grocery store and paying full attention to what you are purchasing is no small task. Many people are watching what they eat, choosing items with lower sodium, less calories, less fat, lower carb, and perhaps organic. Good, healthy, informed choices are supposed to be made while weaving in and out of the aisles, trying to decide what to make for dinner, with kids screaming or pulling products off the shelves whining "can we get this?" Right. The quickest and easiest way that most consumers make a decision about what to buy are the nutritional claims on the front of the package. But do you know what those nutritional claims actually mean?

Take fat for instance. It's one of our favorite topics after all. At 9 kilocalories per gram, and a fast highway to high cholesterol through the animal variety, it's always on our minds. According to the FDA which is the agency that regulates nutrition claims, for an item to be fat free, it must contain no more than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. If the "fat free" item contains 0.5 grams of fat and you eat 5 servings, you have just consumed 2.5 grams of fat. It is, therefore, not fat free.

The organic industry has grown exponentially since its entrance onto the fringes of food consumption in the 60s and 70s. Most grocery stores stock organic products in almost every section from produce to spices. What does the word organic really mean? The USDA regulates organic labeling and the USDA organic seal of which about half of organic producers display on their product. Only the term “100% Organic” means that the item has been certified to be chemical-free, produced organically, and not transported with non-organic foods. “Certified Organic” means that the item is 95% organic. Only these two certifications are allowed to carry the USDA Organic seal. There is also a qualification for “Made with Organic Ingredients” which is at least 70% organic. If a product contains less than 70% organic ingredients they are only allowed to show those items in the ingredients list specified as organic. Confusing? It can be. Do you think you are getting what you pay for? Flashy marketing sells. Food labels do not. To be the most informed consumer, just check the label.

Oh, and "all natural"? It it meaningless.