Last month,Consumer Reportscontinued its crusade against the use of the term natural on food labels. The website and magazine has for several years correctly asserted that natural is one of the most misleading and meaningless food labels out thereand yet it’s used on product after product after product.

In a newsurvey of 1,005 shoppers,Consumer Reportsfound that two-thirds of shoppers believe natural means more than it does (note: the termis not even defined by the FDA) and almost half assume natural claims on labels are independently verified.

The meaningless natural label is one thing. But what about organic? Can we be sure that when products are labeled organic, it means they are almost completely pesticide-free?

Not always. Take companies whose name includes the word organics or organics. After the Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog group, exposeda number of companies who were skirting the qualifications for organic by putting the word in their products’ names, the United States Department of Agricultureattempted to clarify its stance on the matterin late 2014. Unfortunately for us, the USDA didn’t clear up much, saying that it would address potential violators on a case-by-case basis:

While we believe that the term, organic, in a brand name context does not inherently imply an organic production or handling claim and, thus, does not inherently constitute a false or misleading statement, we intend to monitor the use of the term in the context of the entire label. We will consult with the FTC and FDA regarding product and company names that may misrepresent the nature of the product and take action on a case-by-case basis.

Did you catch that? The USDA admits that the use of organic or 100 percent organic on food labels on non-certified products may be misleading, but claims organic in a company name does not imply organic production or handling. As a shopper, isthat how you see it? If most consumers believe natural implies a certain standard of production and handling, how much more is this true for a hyper-specific term like organic?

The best way to know for certain that a product is certified organic is the presence of theUSDA’s organic labelthe gold standard. Before a product can bear it, a government certifier personally inspects the facility, ensuring that no less than 95 percent of ingredients are organic and non-GMO, and that animal products contain no antibiotics or growth hormones.

As for everything else making grand claims or putting organic in the name? Verify, verify, verify.

Written by Steve Holt. Reposted with permission from Thrive Market.

More from Thrive Market:

The Many Health and Beauty Benefits of Raw Honey
The Terrifying New Film About GMOs You Need to See
5 Strange Superfoods that Belong in Your Smoothie

Photo credit: Paul Delmont

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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