Difference Between Natural and Organic Food

Imagine your walking down the chips and snack aisle at the local grocery store searching for your favorite brand of chips and  you see this brand new snack labelled "100 percent all natural". Suddenly the gears in your brain start churning double time , "How can this yummy snack that is normally bad for you instantly become all natural" and , "All natural must mean it's good for you" are probably some of the thoughts that are running through your head, while you contemplate buying this new all natural version of your favorite treat.But, before you go reaching for that box with the pretty "ALL NATURAL" label on it here are some guidelines to remember the next time you are out doing grocery shopping.

 Natural Food Label

• Ingredients are produced by nature
• Meats can be treated with artificial hormones.
• Dairy should be free from flavorings,colors or additives.
• FDA has not created a set of guidelines for determining what qualifies a food product as "natural." According to the FDA, it is hard to define a food product that is natural because it has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth.
• Natural does not mean that the food product is organic.

So what does that mean?
Due to the FDA's  lackadaisical approach to setting guidelines for what can be labeled natural..

• Wendy's can use the natural label for their french fries since it is made with potatoes and sea salt.
• High fructose corn syrup  is also considered natural since it is a part of the corn.
• Aspartame  could qualify as natural since it is extracted from rotting plant bacteria that has been underground zillions of years .              

 Organic Food Standards

• Avoids the use of pesticides, fake fertilizers, and genetic engineering.
• Livestock is feed organic food , are not given growth hormones or antibiotics and have access to outdoors.
• Have the USDA organic seal if it is truly organic.
• Products that are 95% organic can receive the USDA organic seal
• Made with organic ingredients means it is made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients.   

  The best thing to do to ensure authenticity of organic food when your shopping is to be sure to look for the USDA organic food label on the package.

We would like to hear your experiences ...Have you ever been mislead by the "all natural" label on food products?