Everyday we’re plagued with news about the rise in health related diseases on the news, at work, and the radio. As we become more health conscious we begin to seek out more “natural” products. The food industry is making a rush to respond to consumer demand for healthy foods without chemicals and harmful ingredients. What if some of those “natural” products weren’t as they seem? Let’s take a closer look at what “all natural” really means.

Let’s say you’re shopping for a box of Oatmeal. The box has the words “All Natural” splashed across the front. A lean women taking a morning jog is displayed on the front, a great introduction to a “healthy all-natural” product. Let’s put the pretty pictures aside and delve into what really matters. The Nutritional Facts display:

WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED WHEAT, ROLLED BARLEY, WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED RYE, SUGAR, PECANS, WHOLE FLAXSEED, OAT FLOUR, NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, MOLASSES.
CONTAINS WHEAT AND PECAN INGREDIENTS.

One ingredient is “Oats”. Oats are natural ingredients because they are not man-made. They grow in nature; therefore they’re “natural”, right?

We can see that there doesn’t appear to be any ingredients that include preservatives or artificial colors. None of these ingredients are Organic as they would have the following (Organic) text after each ingredient. Among this fact, foods that are labeled “natural” are not subject to government controls beyond regulations and health codes. Therefore these ingredients are not so “natural” after all. They normally are exposed to pesticides and chemical residues. Farmers using conventional non-organic Oats are normally genetically modified, grown and sprayed with pesticides. Even if this product wasn’t produced with chemicals it’s still sifted with other crops that are.

The most cautious and overlooked ingredient is “Natural Flavors”. What “Natural Flavors”? Is the company too lazy to list them or too scared? Is this a top-secret recipe that we shouldn’t know about? Read on to find out.

The exact definition of natural flavorings and flavors from Title 21, Section 101, part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations is as follows:

“The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

This states they are utilizing the essence of the original compound to create the flavoring but it does not disregard the fact that artificial flavors could be added later on during the flavoring process. Both artificial and natural flavors are man-made in a laboratory by “flavorists” by blending “natural” and “synthetic” chemicals to create flavorings.

If you want to actually find out what the “natural” ingredients in products you would have to call the company and hope for a real answer.

Next time you see a product labeled “all natural” check the ingredients. It might not be so “natural” after all.

• Ready to shop? TasteRaw.com offers a large selection of Organic, Raw, Vegan Health Food to choose from.
• Ready to learn more? Educate yourself about the benefits of a Organic, Vegan, Raw Food Diet today!

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