Defining moment

New FDA statement officially takes high fructose corn syrup out of the running as a “natural” ingredient.

One small step for the FDA, one giant leap for mankind. At least, that’s how those of us invested in natural health took the news that the agency we normally love to hate officially declared that products containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) cannot be considered — or labeled — as “natural.”

While no one really seemed to consider the sweetener to be GOOD for you, it had been in a sort of limbo in regards to whether or not it could be considered natural. Last year, two food manufacturers, Cadbury Schwepps and Kraft, pushed that envelope and added “all- natural” claims to the labels of several products containing HFCS. They promptly found themselves being sued as a result of those claims, and both companies removed them from their product labels voluntarily. But the controversy prompted one industry reporting organization, FoodNavigator-USA, to follow up with the FDA about HFCS. And the result of that inquiry has changed the way the food industry — and the public — will view HFCS forever.

While the FDA has never put forth a specific definition for the term “natural,” it does have a policy for the use of the term in product advertising and labeling. According to that policy, a product can only be considered natural if it is free of all artificial and synthetic additives. Granted, it’s a system that involves a lot of grey area, although the FDA says that it “has a system in place for manufacturers with doubts toask for guidance”

This system is what FoodNavigator-USA used to submit its inquiry regarding the status of HFCS. The FDA responded by saying that “The use of synthetic fixing agentsused to produce HFCS would not be consistent with ourpolicy regarding the use of the term ‘natural.’”

And if the loophole-loving FDA doesn’t consider it natural, then you KNOW it must be bad. So there you have it. Food and beverage labels all over the U.S. just got a little safer from misleading claims. But don’t give up on reading those ingredient lists just yet, even on products bearing a “natural” claim. Kraft and Cadbury aren’t the only envelope- pushers out there, and while it’s nice to know we’ve got organizations like FoodNavigator-USA looking out for us, it’s always in your best interest to be your OWN consumer watchdog.