# Am I overreacting to this labelling inaccuracy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-overreacting-to-this-labelling-inaccuracy/590578 "2011-07-28T02:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-overreacting-to-this-labelling-inaccuracy/590578/21 "2011-07-28T03:55:21Z")
Let’s try to do better than Wikipedia here. Okay, I shouldn’t have said “definition” there with respect to the FDA. Apparently the treatment of “natural” labels is, rather, a “policy.” But the upshot is what I said: “natural” effectively means the _absence_ of those things that are _defined_ as something else. > [@Federal Register](#): > > The agency will maintain its > current policy (as discussed in the > general principles proposal (56 FR > 60421 at 60466)) not to restrict the use > of the term “natural” **except** for added > color, synthetic substances, and flavors > as provided in § 101.22. Additionally, > the agency will maintain its policy (Ref. > 32) regarding the use of “natural,” as > meaning that nothing artificial or > synthetic (including all color additives > regardless of source) has been included > in, or has been added to, a food that > would not normally be expected to be > in the food. Further, at this time the > agency will continue to distinguish > between natural and artificial flavors as > outlined in § 101.22. The above is the pertinent part of [this here](http://google2.fda.gov/search?q=cache:At_ZXSdKypEJ:www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/FoodAdvisoryCommittee/UCM248504.pdf&client=FDAgov&lr=&proxystylesheet=FDAgov&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&site=FDAgov&access=p&oe=UTF-8). [§ 101.22](http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=101.22) for further reading. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-overreacting-to-this-labelling-inaccuracy/590578/22 "2011-07-28T14:06:12Z")
Make your own popsicles next time, maybe? Mix some pure fruit juice into water, add sugar to taste, freeze in special ice tray (like [this](http://0.tqn.com/d/baby/1/0/z/5/-/-/popsicle-ice-tray.jpg)). I’m not saying you’re not justified in being upset. But if you know you can’t feed your kid processed foods, avoiding buying them altogether is a plan that’s less likely to end in disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-overreacting-to-this-labelling-inaccuracy/590578/23 "2011-07-28T16:02:46Z")
Oh gosh, we do generally make most of what she eats. But there are times (like this family picnic taking place three hours from home) when it’s much easier to grab something on the go. I am very aware that it is ultimately my responsibility to make sure I’m ok with what she eats. But doesn’t a company have a certain responsibility to provide accurate information regarding what is in their product? In a dream world, sure, I’d love to buy only fresh food and make everything we eat from scratch. But in (my) real world with two little kids, road trips, birthday parties, class parties, day camp, picnics, etc, sometimes buying packaged food would be nice. I always did trust the labelling (short of being suspicious of euphemistic phrasing as discussed above) and felt I had a nice balance of mostly homemade, “pure” stuff and the occasional exciting treat. I guess that’s part of my annoyance here, that this has made me have to re-evaluate my risk analysis in allowing myself these occasional conveniences, and it wasn’t a bubble I wanted to have burst. Thanks to everyone for the perspective! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-overreacting-to-this-labelling-inaccuracy/590578/24 "2011-07-28T16:36:20Z")
I don’t know how it works in Canada, but in the US, unless the individual items in the box are specifically labeled for individual resale (as when you buy a wholesale sized carton) , whatever is written on the interior packaging is an irrelevancy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-overreacting-to-this-labelling-inaccuracy/590578.md?page=1)