Answer :The term natural is being used a great deal-its a very popular trend in labeling- but it means absolutely nothing, says James E. Tillotson, PhD, MBA, professor of food policy and international business at Tufts Friedman School. Unlike organic products, which must adhere to a strict set of rules, there is no standard definition for natural except for meat and poultry products, and no organization independently certifies this claim. The FDA does have a longstanding policy regarding the term: Natural means only that the product does not contain synthetic or artificial ingredients that would not normally be expected to be in the food-including artificial flavors or color additives, regardless of source. Use of natural is not permitted in the ingredient list, except in the phrase natural flavorings.
According to the USDA, fresh meat or poultry labeled natural cannot contain any artificial flavoring, color ingredients, chemical preservatives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients. It must be only minimally processed, defined as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product, although flavor injections are allowed.
Tillotson says that challenges to the use of natural have come more often in the courts than from regulators. Competitors and consumer groups have sued over natural labeling of products sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), for example. (For more on natural claims, see our August 2008 Special Report.)
Products containing GMO ingredients may nonetheless be labeled as natural. A recent survey by The Organic & Non-GMO Report found that many natural breakfast cereals contain GMO corn, soy, canola or sugar beets. And a three-year survey by a New York City food co-op identified more than 400 of its 8,000 products as possibly containing GMOs. Whether GMOs actually pose any health risk remains controversial.