'Natural' Foods Rile Up Organic Advocates

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 10, 2009 8:19 PM CDT

(Newser) – Americans are buying more so-called "natural" foods and angering advocates of organic, who say the distinction is a scam, the Chicago Tribune reports. The natural food market—that is, any food labeled "natural"—has spiked by 10% to $12.9 billion with cheaper-than-organic prices. But it's mostly unregulated. "Our fear is that they are going to blur this line" between natural and organic foods, says one organic expert.

In fact, most Americans believe natural is greener than organic, one survey shows. While producers of "natural" food can claim that certain ingredients—like hormones and artificial colors—are left out, herbicides and antibiotics may be left in, organic advocates say. So far the USDA only regulates natural meat and poultry, saying they must be minimally processed.

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YoCream Original Tart(TM) Frozen Yogurt is labeled "All Natural." (PRNewsFoto/YoCream International, Inc.)

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It just makes me mad when I see a company that attempts to profiteer at the expense of these hardworking farmers who have built the organic industry. - Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute,
a watchdog group for organic foods

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