Natural or Organic: Which Products are Best to Buy in the USA

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Many customers find that products labeled “natural” or “organic” are safe food. But using these labels may mean you have to pay more: for example, certified organic eggs cost 122% more than regular eggs, while organic milk costs 87% more.

The terms "natural" and "organic" mean different things, and they do not always justify the waste of extra money.

What are natural products?

According to a Label Insight survey conducted in 2019, more than half, 53% of Americans are likely to be interested in buying food if they are labeled “natural.” But experts say that food labeled “natural” doesn’t mean anything if it’s not meat, in which case “natural” means “a product that does not contain artificial ingredients.”

“Consumers make a lot of assumptions about what natural foods are,” says Lena Brook, director of food campaigns at the National Resources Defense Council. “They assume that foods that are labeled natural are minimally processed or hormone-free.”

In 2015 year Food and Drug Administration (Oversight)The FDA) asked consumers for comments on how to use “natural” in food labeling to help formulate an official definition. However, the agency did not issue such a definition.

Thus, at the moment, most products do not have to meet certain requirements in order to call themselves "natural."

What are organic foods?

Strict criteria for obtaining an “organic” label vary by food. Organic foods generally cannot contain artificial colors or preservatives, pesticides, growth hormones, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). A large fine of up to $ 17 is also levied for fraudulent labeling of a product as environmentally friendly.

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“Consumers are now looking for the truth and products that are made without harmful methods or harmful ingredients. Organic matter is a surefire way to meet many of these needs,” says Brooke.

Which is better?

Since there are no guidelines for food to be “natural”, any product can technically label itself as natural, regardless of what it contains.

But Sarah Ohlhorst, senior director of advocacy and science policy at the American Society for Nutrition, says the "natural" label isn't always without merit. “While there is no formal definition, there is a general sense that natural still means no preservatives or additives,” she says.

Either way, if you're trying to be more conscious about what you eat, the organic label is the easiest way to identify a product that contains fewer additives.

“Organic is always natural, but natural is not always organic,” says Brooke.

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