All Natural, Organic & GMO Labels: Confusing the Customer Again

Be wary of making certain claims on your private label product, the consumer may be cautious if not confused.

Over the years we have seen a progression of labels suggesting the products are “better than before.” In some cases that may be true and in others, not so much.

Here are some of labels you might recognize and my view on them. Keep these in mind as you decide on labels you want to place on your dairy or non-dairy product.

In some cases proper labeling can mean the difference between a customer making a purchase or deciding to pass on your product. Over the years some manufacturers have pushed the boundaries of the label claim and tried to broaden its meaning — consequently the consumer is confused or cautious about what is under the lid.

The “All Natural” Label
“All Natural” started showing up on labels about 40 years ago; regular product labels started declaring that they were “All Natural” and the public responded with, “Finally,” “Thank goodness,” “It’s about time,” and “It must be better for us than a non-all-natural brand.”

This new tag opened the floodgates of opportunity for both grocery chains and manufacturers. It not only gave them the opportunity to re-brand a current product, but the ability to place the product at a higher price point cost make the marketing spin that the product was not, “better for you and costs more to produce to ensure quality and standards.”

Everyone jumped on the “All Natural” wagon and “All Natural” became the new product tag.

What’s interesting (as stated in Wikipedia), “All natural is a widely used term with vague definition; “natural” is not enforced in the U.S. and has no meaning.

For example, cane sugar needs to be processed in order to be converted from stalk to granular; if it is not bleached then the process is considered “natural.” The definition of “natural” sugar when derived from corn is a little more confusing; depending on your source, it could be classified “natural” or “not natural.” The sugar industry says that sugar derived from corn is not a natural product because of the process used to create sugar from corn; the FDA says it is a natural product. Wow, confusing right?

The “Organic” Label

After “all natural” came the “organic” classification, which started showing up on labels and was marketed as an upgrade to “all natural.” The consumer’s response again was, “Finally,” “Thank goodness,” “It’s about time,” and “It must be better for us than that questionable all natural brand.” In fact, over the years the label “all natural” had seen diminished value was viewed as questionable to the consumer.

By labeling product as “organic,” manufacturers and retailers justified a 25-40% increase in price by saying, “Organic is better for you, but it costs more to produce, monitor, and ensure quality and standards.”

Is price the increase justified? “You bet,” said the manufacturer. “There is the special process, increased cost to prepare the soil, the feed needs for organic certification, and costs involved with “everything else in the organic chain.”

Many products got on the organic wagon and what the consumer experienced was additional store chains, more independent operators, more farmers and producers and more dedicated organic shelf space in the aisles. Thus, the manufacturer and store can now command higher price points equaling increased profits.

Organic is good business! The interesting thing is that under the microscope, the composition of organic and non-organic is the same.

If you purchase 40% cream that is labeled organic, muscularly it is the same as non-organic. By design the intent of the organic label was to tell the consumer that the product is safer to consume and more environment friendly. However, the organic label is only as good as how well each ingredient in the process is monitored. That is how the word “Certified” came into play.

If a manufacturer is on the up-and-up, every step of the process is inspected by a third-party auditor and ingredients arrive with documentation backing the organic claim. Is this happening in every case? In most cases yes, but as we have seen in other industries, sometimes poor decisions are made in the name of profit.

In the U.S., there is not one overseeing body monitoring the start-to-finish process.

It is impossible to track how often non-organic ingredients accidentally mix with organic ones, but I do know the result and finished product will be the same and it will go undetected.

An example of my point: If a plant operator accidentally adds non-organic sugar to organic cream to make organic ice cream, would you know? Absolutely not.

Don’t get me wrong — I like, purchase and encourage organic products to my clients making their own product. However, I also clearly communicate my opinion to clients regarding consumer skepticism in respect to the organic label. Read more about the controversy surrounding organic labeling, it’s going to be around for awhile.

“Non-GMO” and “Gluten-Free” Labels
Although they are totally separate items, the up-and-coming fair-haired children are now “Non-GMO” and “Gluten-Free” labeled products. GMO stands for “Genetically Modified Organism.” GMO and “Gluten-Free” are typically marketed together and announced in one breath. Why is beyond any reasoning I can concieve other than, if you have one why not toss in the other?

Genetically Modified Food is an important and controversial issue to many consumers. Check out the site of the most recognized non-profit group on the subject. Gluten-Free is an important label, especially for individuals that suffer from a food allergy. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, kamut, spelt, barley, rye, and triticale as stated in Wikipedia.

The FDA has a ton of information on the initiative. Once again, from my view point, the manufacturer and retailer are changing the rules and confusing the consumer.

Here’s an article on Whole Foods’ decision to “allow its suppliers five years to clearly label all products containing ingredients with genetic material that has been modified through genetic engineering.”

What? Five years to stop offering Genetically Modified Food in a retail chain that started in 2003 as the first certified organic grocer?

The moral of the story is, label your product as you wish, but be true to the product and the initial choice you made. Educate yourself to allow your customer to make a choice that is best for them.

Stay tuned for more on…

• All Natural
• Organic
• rBST-Free (bovine somatotrophin)
• Non-GMO
• Gluten-Free

Contact Darryl to clear things up and stop the confusion.