A recent Consumer Reports survey reveals that two third of health-conscious shoppers choose to purchase processed food labelled “natural.” Unfortunately, most of these shoppers assume that these products contain no artificial ingredients, toxic pesticides, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
“Unless companies can prove that their products are natural, it’s just a marketing tool,” says Ali Ramadan, a homeopath and co-owner of GNA Naturals, a supplement distributor.
Ramadan says that bad labelling makes it difficult for retailers to tell the difference “good” products and “bad” products. Urvashi Rangan of Consumer Reports told CTV that the fine print on “natural” foods should always be checked to ensure the product does not contain any ingredients that consumers might want to avoid.
Ali Ramadan adds that retailers should focus on buying non-GMO vitamins instead of supplements labelled “natural”. Companies have to verify that their products are non-GMO. Health Canada does a safety assessment on all genetically-modified foods proposed for sale in Canada. The government agency requires that companies submit detailed scientific data for review and approval before GMO foods can be sold.
“Choosing non-GMO vitamins is another way that retailers can protect their customer’s health using true all-natural products,” Ramadan says.
