Knowing what\u2019s in the food that you eat is increasingly important to consumers. Chances are that labelling is key to how you assess a product\u2019s healthfulness. Seeing the word \u201cnatural\u201d on a label might make you feel better about buying the product.<\/p>\n
Maybe it conjures up images of farming, vegetables growing in the sun, or happy animals milling around. It sounds healthy \u2014 maybe even good for the planet. But what does the term \u201cnatural\u201d actually mean on a label? And is it really synonymous with healthy? Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n
Labelling something as natural might make you think that it\u2019s more nutritious, but that\u2019s not the case. In actuality, it simply means that the product meets the following three criteria<\/a>:<\/p>\n 1. It doesn\u2019t contain added vitamins, mineral nutrients, artificial flavouring, or food additives.<\/p>\n 2. None of its components have been removed or changed significantly. Removing water or caffeine, however, like in decaffeinated tea or dried fruit, is okay.<\/p>\n 3. It isn’t processed. This means it can\u2019t have gone through certain processes that significantly alter its chemical, biological, or physical structure. This last measure can be confusing. That\u2019s because food can be called natural, for example, if it\u2019s been canned, sterilized, extracted, or even treated with toxic gas<\/a>, but not if it\u2019s been mechanically deboned, decaffeinated chemically, or tenderized with a chemical additive.<\/p>\n In Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency<\/a> (CFIA) is responsible for regulating food labels. CFIA creates guidelines that dictate what claims producers are allowed to make about their food products.<\/p>\n CFIA guidelines dictate that manufacturers aren\u2019t allowed to make untrue statements about the products you consume. If a company claims that its product is organic, for example, it has to be certified organic by a CFIA-licensed organization. In addition to the organic logo, the product has to bear a logo with the name of the organization that certified it as such.<\/p>\n CFIA has inspectors who make sure that companies are conforming to regulations, but the system isn\u2019t perfect. There are just too many food products out there for them to inspect each one. This means that CFIA relies in large part on consumer complaints.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean, however, there\u2019s a wild west system of food production in Canada. Food manufacturers in Canada have to meet a number of criteria in order to be allowed to operate.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve bought anything with a long list of ingredients recently, chances are one of them was \u201cnatural flavours.\u201d If that seems like a vague, ill-defined term, you\u2019re right. Natural flavours just mean that the flavour isn\u2019t synthetically derived, it doesn\u2019t mean that it\u2019s natural to the product. A strawberry granola bar, for example, can contain \u201cnatural flavours\u201d that are actually derived from apples.<\/p>\n \u201cNatural ingredients\u201d is similarly vague. All it means is that specific ingredient isn\u2019t synthetic. Salami, for example, is typically highly processed and made with large amounts of nitrates and salt. It\u2019s still allowed to label itself as \u201cmade with natural ingredients,\u201d however, so long as it has a few ingredients that qualify as natural \u2014 even if those ingredients are just the spices added to it.<\/p>\n While natural just means that the food has undergone minimal processing, it doesn\u2019t mean that it\u2019s healthier or has more nutritional value. Alcohol can be natural, for example.<\/p>\n Organic doesn\u2019t necessarily mean healthier either, but it does mean that it was produced in accordance with certain environmental standards. Organic products are governed by the Canadian Organic Standards<\/a>, developed by CFIA. This applies to organic products.<\/p>\n These standards dictate that the product cannot be genetically modified and that it must be grown or raised \u2014 in the case of livestock \u2014 without the use of certain substances. These substances include certain chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, as well as antibiotics and hormones.<\/p>\n Canada has organic equivalency guidelines with other countries, meaning that they recognize each other\u2019s organic designation. Products that the US considers organic, for example, are also accepted as organic here, and vice versa.<\/p>\n One of the organic equivalency agreements Canada has is with the European Union, which includes Germany. The EU and Germany have slightly different organic labelling guidelines, so they use different symbols. BIO is the German symbol for organic foods. It simply means that the product contains a minimum of 95% organic ingredients, according to German organic standards, and has no genetically-modified components.<\/p>\n If you spend any time in the grocery store these days, you\u2019ve likely noticed a proliferation in new label designations. Here\u2019s what some of these labels actually mean.<\/p>\n Organic When it comes to organic produce you\u2019d find in grocery stores or farmer\u2019s markets, there are different rules for pesticides. To have an organic produce label, products cannot use synthetic pesticides \u2014 unlike conventional produce. However, there\u2019s no actual guarantee that organic produce is fully free of synthetic pesticides due to possible exposure through contact with other products or because of trace amounts in the environment.<\/p>\n Made with organic materials Gluten-free Vegan Non-GMO No artificial flavours No artificial colours Certified plant-based While it sounds like a healthy option, it isn\u2019t necessarily. In the case of margarine, for example, it could mean the product is made from canola oil, which tends to be highly processed and usually contains fewer nutrients than extra virgin olive oil. While there are certain organizations in Canada that currently certify foods as being plant-based, they aren\u2019t affiliated with the CFIA which doesn\u2019t currently have guidelines regarding this designation.<\/p>\n Food labelling isn\u2019t meant to be misleading, but it can be downright confusing. Seeing the words natural, plant-based, or gluten-free jumping out at you as you grab a product can give you a false sense of security. It\u2019s easy to believe that you\u2019re buying something that\u2019s a better choice \u2014 both nutritionally for your family, and ecologically for the planet.<\/p>\n Even the most educated consumers struggle with their diet and weight loss<\/a>, and food labels don\u2019t always hold the answers. If you\u2019re looking to make better nutritional choices, you might benefit from seeing a registered dietitian.<\/p>\nHow are ingredients on food\/beverage products verified?<\/h3>\n
What counts as “natural ingredients” or “natural flavours” in ingredient lists?<\/h3>\n
What’s the difference between natural, organic, and bio?<\/h3>\n
What do other food labels actually mean?<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>Labelling something as organic means that at least 95% of its ingredients are organic. Only products that meet this standard and are certified by a CIFA-accredited organization can carry the Canada organic logo.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>A product can state that it\u2019s made with organic ingredients if 70% or more are organic, but it cannot use the Canadian organic logo. In this case, however, it still needs to bear the name of the CFIA-accredited organization that certified those ingredients as organic.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Gluten is a protein found in wheat and some other grains. While consuming it causes problems for individuals with celiac disease, most people can eat gluten without issue. The gluten-free label indicates that a product doesn’t contain gluten. It doesn\u2019t mean, however, that the product is healthier than an option containing gluten.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Vegan products contain no ingredients sourced from animals, including gelatin and eggs.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Non-GMO stands for non-genetically modified organism. This means that the product doesn\u2019t contain any ingredients that have been altered in a laboratory. Many crops, such as corn, are grown from GMO seeds that are developed to make the plant more drought-tolerant or resistant to pests.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>No artificial flavours mean that the product\u2019s flavours weren\u2019t made synthetically. It doesn\u2019t mean that the flavours are natural to the product, however. It also doesn\u2019t mean that the product is healthier.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Just like \u201cno artificial flavours\u201d, this just means that the product\u2019s colours weren\u2019t made synthetically. It doesn\u2019t mean that the colour of the product is naturally occurring, or that the product is healthier.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Plant-based foods are vegan, but companies may prefer the plant-based label as some consumers may find the vegan one exclusionary. Labelling something as \u201cplant-based\u201d makes clear that it doesn\u2019t contain animal ingredients. It\u2019s often found on meat or dairy alternatives like tofu or margarine.<\/p>\n