Source: MEATINGPLACE, 5/12/16


The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to more clearly define the term “natural” in food labeling.

GMA submitted its comments to FDA, which recently closed its period for accepting feedback on a proposed rule regarding the labeling claim after an extension.

“The criteria used to determine if a food qualifies for a 'natural’ claim should focus primarily on whether the product’s ingredients are synthetic/artificial or natural and on the degree of processing the ingredients have undergone,” GMA general counsel Karin Moore said in a statement.

Farming and agricultural methods used in the production of a crop, including pesticide or herbicide use, the use of biotech seeds, or animal husbandry practices  such as “free range” or “grass fed” should not have a bearing on the “natural” status of a food or ingredient, GMA said. 

GMA filed a petition with FDA in 2014 asking the agency to set a definition for the term. Some federal courts have also requested clarification from FDA on the proper use of the term “natural” in food labeling due to ongoing litigation on this topic.

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