To the public eye the label of “all natural” found on processed food products can be misleading. What does this nomenclature really mean and do the products with this label promote healthy and nutritional diets? The United States Food and Drug Adminstration(USFDA) has had a difficult time in defining the term natural because “The food has probably been processed and is no longer a product of the earth”(USFDA). According to the New World Encyclopedia, food processing is “the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry”. It further states “food processing can lower the nutritional value of foods, and processed foods may include additives (such as colorings, flavorings, and preservatives) that may have adverse health effects”(new world encyclopedia).
Although there are some nutritional components to processed food much is lost in the way of the additives which ultimately make the word natural misleading and often times unclear. There are many additives that are frequently used some main ones are artificial sweeteners, food dyes, myco protein, and partially
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“The term organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed” (Segal); U.S. organic crops are all grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum based fertilizers, and sewage sludge-based fertilizers. In the lifecycle of “organic livestock raised for meat, eggs, and dairy products must have access to outdoors and be given organic feed”(segal). This results in organic foods being more beneficial in nutrients such as antioxidants, than their conventionally-grown counterparts (Segal). “Oftentimes people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or go way when they eat organic