What do GMO-free and natural labels mean?
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Some definitions in life are clear 鈥 a red traffic light means stop, a green light means go. Other definitions are downright confusing. Especially when they come to our food.
From a scientific perspective, labels are important to help you choose what is best for you and your family. Unfortunately, some labels are simply misleading. My top picks for most confusing food labels? Those that use language around being 鈥淣atural鈥 and 鈥淕MO-free.鈥 Here鈥檚 why:
The 鈥榥atural鈥 label on food products lacks clarity
In Canada and the United States, the term 鈥渘atural鈥 does not have a clear definition. Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a good foundation for a definition, there is still room for interpretation. One example is that doesn鈥檛 address food production methods, such as the use of pesticides.
Without a clear definition, consumers are making assumptions of what 鈥渘atural鈥 means. Lack of a definition unfortunately leads people to misinterpret these labels, thinking they mean everything from organic to environmentally friendly.
The implied superiority of the non-GMO label
If a food is labeled as genetically modified organism (GMO), then we know that it has been 鈥渄erived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally.鈥1 The confusing part to me is that GMO labeling can imply the superiority of non-GMO foods, and that鈥檚 simply not true.
There are also only grown in the world. This means that when food outside of these handful of crops are labeled non-GMO, it鈥檚 misleading because there isn鈥檛 actually a GMO option for them. For example, there is no GMO wheat. Because of that, boxes of crackers or packages of pasta that include the non-GMO label can create additional confusion to a consumer, who may think that wheat is, in fact, a GMO crop.
While these are two of the more confusing food labels, there are more food buzzwords that can complicate routine visits to the supermarket. The good news is, with a little research, you can separate fact from fiction and feel confident that you鈥檙e making the right food choices for your family.
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1 From World Health Organization Food, Genetically modified