What is "Natural"?

Many products on the market today claim to be "natural." But what makes a product natural? Most people have a common-sense definition of what "natural" is or should be. For example, natural to most people means being able to pronounce all the ingredients and not needing a chemistry textbook to understand them. The definition of "Natural" is important. It sets apart socially responsible companies from the rest. Synthetic ingredients can be toxic, and usually cost less than natural ingredients giving the mass-marketed multinational corporations a competitive advantage. The big companies know that the natural products market is growing and consumers are demanding products that are healthier and better for the environment. These big corporations have jumped on the "natural" bandwagon and cranked up their marketing machines to benefit from green consumerism. Having a loose definition of natural is just what they want. Take a look at the supermarket shelves and you will see the multitude of "natural" claims. Their definition of natural includes manipulated and chemically altered ingredients. To the Corporations "natural" is just another marketing gimmick, not a way of life. Many can market natural products and still use chemicals; it is the way it is written that counts. All natural means no synthetics where natural can have some natural and some synthetics. Just like organic, made with organic or 100% organic. There are differences!

Can any product claim to be natural?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the watchdog for environmental claims. The FTC's guidance does not address "natural" marketing claims specifically. However, the guidance includes a section on general environmental benefit claims that states, "every express and material implied claim that the general assertion conveys to reasonable consumers about an objective quality, feature or attribute of a product or service must be substantiated." With so many products on the market claiming to be natural and so few government resources to enforce these claims, it is up to consumers to identify what is truly natural. Consumers should carefully read product labels including ingredient lists and then vote for their definition of natural with their buying power!