The Myth of Natural
Why 'Natural' is a Fraud
With the exception of the “natural” meat sector, where there are limited, voluntary guidelines, there is no definition of “natural”. Many consumers are confused about the difference between so-called “natural” products and nutritionally and environmentally superior “certified organic” products. Whole Foods and UNFI are maximizing their profits by selling quasi-natural products at premium organic prices.
Late-night rivals Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon don't just compete for ratings. They’re also locked in a battle over whose Ben & Jerry’s flavor—Colbert’s “AmeriCone Dream” or Fallon’s “The Tonight Dough”—is the more popular seller.
Two left-leaning celebrities, known for their outspokenness on progressive issues, battling it out over who can sell the most Ben & Jerry’s ice cream? It’s a perfect fit for Ben & Jerry’s greenwashing campaign.
Here’s what we think: Colbert and Fallon should both #DumpBenandJerrys until Ben & Jerry's commits to a 100%
Read more
It’s tough to even know where to start with this one, but here goes.
A company called Impossible Foods, with $257 million in venture capital funding, recently launched its fake, genetically engineered Impossible Burger—even though, the FDA (supposedly in charge of food safety) can’t say if the burger’s “secret sauce”—soy leghemoglobin—is safe.
How can Impossible Foods put soy leghemoglobin in food if the FDA hasn’t deemed it safe? Because the FDA's approval isn't required for most new ingredients.
But Impossible Foods did ask the FDA to weigh in on the safety of its “
Read more
It’s one of the most depressing aspects of environmentalism that pressing needs for change inevitably get turned into saleable products.
As the need to reduce our meat consumption rises so too do the number of so-called ‘meat substitutes’, products which aim to get us to eat less meat while still pretending that we are eating meat.
Read more
It’s official. Ten of 11 samples of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream tested positive for glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide.
It’s the latest in a long line of complaints against the ice cream brand that claims its social mission “seeks to meet human needs and eliminate the injustices in our local, national and international communities,” and that its focus is “on children and families, the environment and sustainable agriculture on family farms.”
Read more
The Organic Consumers Association announced Tuesday that it found traces of glyphosate in 10 of 11 samples of the company’s ice creams — although at levels far below the ceiling set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Read more
The latest legal fight over exactly what goes into General Mills Inc.'s Nature Valley granola bars is over, with a federal judge dismissing a class-action lawsuit against the company.
Food industry website Food Dive reports on the dismissal of the case, which centered around claims by Golden Valley-based General Mills (NYSE: GIS) that its granola bars were made with "100% natural whole grain oats."
Read more
A new poll conducted by NRG Research Group shows four out of five Americans want food companies to commit to greatly reducing the suffering of chickens in their supply chains, even if it results in higher prices.
Read more
The difficulty of detecting fraud in imported "organic" food means that it's hard to know what products can be trusted, a grain industry executive told a Senate committee on Thursday, as lawmakers prepare the next farm bill.
Read more
Under USDA requirements, organic livestock are supposed to have access to the “outdoors,” get “direct sunlight” and “fresh air.” The rules prohibit “continuous total confinement of any animal indoors.” Organic livestock are supposed to be able to engage in their “natural behavior,” and for chickens, that means foraging on the ground for food, dust-bathing and even short flights.
Read more
Cornucopia Institute's new report is the latest skirmish in the debate over whether "organic" standards are being maintained at farms claiming the label. The USDA relies on private certifying companies, hired by the farms, to ensure that organics standards are being met. Critics have complained that the private certifying companies have a financial incentive to approve the operations at the farms that hire them.
Read morePages
for The Myth of Natural
Get Local
