All Natural Labels Don't Guarantee Healthy Ingredients Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Nutrition Basics ‘All Natural’ on the Food Label By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Updated on November 08, 2020 Fact checked Verywell Fit content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Emily Swaim Fact checked by Emily Swaim Emily is a fact checker, editor, and writer who has expertise in psychology, health and lifestyle content. Learn about our editorial process Print istetiana / Getty Images As a consumer, you may be interested in buying the healthiest foods you can find, which means you’ll be gleaning nutrition and health information from food labels. Two sources of information include the nutrition facts label and the ingredients list located on the back or side of the packaging. In addition to those required labels, you may find a host of health or nutrition claims made on the front of the packaging. One common claim is "natural," "all natural," or "made with natural ingredients." What does it mean when food manufacturers’ use these terms? Defining ' All Natural' According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of "natural" that fits the food world best is "closely resembling an original: true to nature." So, all-natural foods should be those that are closest to their pure, natural state. However, it’s hard to imagine any processed food as being close to its natural state, as most ingredients have undergone some kind of alteration before being placed on store shelves. The belief, of course, is that something that’s "all natural" is going to be much better for you than something that contains artificial ingredients. While that may or may not be true (folic acid, for example, is an artificial form of B vitamin that’s beneficial), seeing the word "natural" on a food product may not mean what you hope it means. What the FDA Says About Natural The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decides what types of health and nutrition claims can be put on packaged foods. For example, the FDA has requirements for using the phrase "low fat" on a food label. Unfortunately, the FDA doesn’t have an official definition for natural foods, so their official position on using the word "natural" is that the term is appropriate if the food does not contain added colors, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances. Without any formal regulation, the consumer is left to trust the food manufacturers. A food product that’s made with "all-natural" ingredients could still contain hormones, GMOs, or other things some consumers worry about. Natural foods don’t have to be organically produced, and it doesn’t mean the farm animals were treated well. All-natural foods can also be high in calories, fats, sodium, or sugar. In short, if you see the words "all natural" on a food package, you still need to do a little digging to truly know if the product is good for you and your family. Tips for Shopping for Natural Foods Here’s what you need to do if you want to buy all-natural foods at the grocery store. Clearly, the freshest produce is all natural because it’s unaltered and pretty much just what was harvested days or weeks earlier. A potato is natural, just the way it is. So is an apple or an orange. The concept of "all natural" gets more complicated when you look at processed foods. First, it’s important to point out that not all processed foods are bad. Pasteurized milk, canned tuna, and frozen veggies are all examples of processed foods that can be good for you. Meats Poultry and Fish Choose items that are minimally processed, such as lean cuts of beef and pork, fresh chicken pieces, and fresh or frozen seafood. Processed meats such as sausage and bacon are likely to contain artificial flavorings or preservatives, so check out the ingredients list before you buy. Dairy Products Regular milk may contain recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). Research has found connections between rBGH and elevated levels of IGF-1 hormone in humans. Health authorities disagree on whether or not higher levels of IGF-1 could pose a significant cancer risk. The FDA has judged rBGH to be safe for consumption, but organizations in Canada and the European Union have banned its use. If you want to avoid milk with growth hormones, look for rBGH-free milk. If you’re shopping for yogurt, look for plain yogurt or varieties that only contain yogurt, fruits, honey, and nuts. Colored yogurts often contain artificial colorings, especially those aimed at kids. Prepackaged Snack Foods Very few brands of cookies, chips, crackers, or other snack foods are really going to be all natural, but if you go to the natural foods section of the store, you may see some that claim to be made with natural ingredients. It doesn’t mean they’re good for you. Dig further into the label to make your decision based on nutrition facts and ingredients. Breads and Cereals Kids’ cereals are often colored with artificial colorings, but you may be able to find brands colored with natural colors such as beet juice. Remember that whole grains are healthier than refined flours, and the forms of sugar found in "natural" products are just as high in calories as the sugars found in artificial products. A Word From Verywell The idea of buying "all-natural" foods may seem like a good idea, but since the FDA doesn’t regulate the use of the word, you’ll need to examine the ingredients list and the nutrition facts labels to find the healthiest packaged foods. 6 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Crider KS, Bailey LB, Berry RJ. Folic Acid Food Fortification—Its History, Effect, Concerns, and Future Directions. Nutrients. 2011;3(3):370-384. doi:10.3390/nu3030370 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Use of the Term 'Natural' on Food Labeling. Micha R, Michas G, Lajous M, Mozaffarian D. Processing of meats and cardiovascular risk: time to focus on preservatives. BMC Med. 2013;11:136. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-136 Senthil V, Rajan C, Divya P, Sasikumar S. Adverse effects on consumer’s health caused by hormones administered in cattle. Int Food Res J. 2018;25(1):1-10. American Cancer Society. Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone. Slavin J, Carlson J. Carbohydrates. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(6):760-761. doi:10.3945/an.114.006163 By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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