Do you know how the government defines "natural" and "organic"? Read on ...
Is it Natural and Organic?
By Rusty Ost, RPh, Member of National Association of Natural Medicine Pharmacists
We so often hear that question. Let’s take a look at the actual meaning of some of the terms that are used to describe nutritional supplements and herbal remedies.
First of all, Webster’s describes natural as: “being in accordance with or determined by nature. “ Accordingly, organic is described as: “relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides.” Pure on the other hand is said to mean: “unmixed with any other matter; free from dust, dirt, or taint.” This seems to be the most logical and easy-to-adhere-to definition.
What do the experts say? While it is true that there is no official, U.S. government regulated definition for the term“natural” pertaining to the natural products industry, the FDA refers to natural ingredients as "ingredients extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically." The key words here are,
"extracted directly ". In the case of some ingredients, it's easy to see that they fit easily into this definition. But what about raw materials that need to undergo some processing or chemical reaction in order to extract the ingredient from the natural raw material that is the source? Can you see how the processing method is so very important?
What if some chemical used in the extraction process reacts with some chemical in the raw material causing a new chemical to be formed? Uh-oh! Now what do we have?
Well, we no longer have a natural product, do we? The bottom line is that the U. S. Government has NO legal definition for “natural”. The Consumers Union states that,
“There is currently no standard definition for the term except for meat and poultry products. The producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest."
What about organic? Most of our government’s input into the “organic” arena has been in the field of agriculture. The National Organic Standard Board adopted a rule in 2002 that told what could and could not be labeled “organic”. This rule actually provided some semblance of propriety to a here-to-fore very vague term. Unfortunately, it still leaves some room for improvement. Obviously, a product that is 100% organic can be legally
“organic”. So can a product that is made up of ingredients that are 95% organic; and for that matter so can a product that is composed of just 70% organic ingredients. So, is the organic product you just purchased 100% organic, or 95% organic or 70% organic? And, if the product is 70% organic, what composes the other 30%?
Because of the nebulous nature of the definition of these terms, Shaklee is hesitant to use them frivolously. You, the consumer, must make the choice about whom you trust…and make your selection(s) accordingly. For me, I’ve found that Shaklee is the name I can trust. I’ve found that I can trust Shaklee, its philosophy and its products far easier than some other company using terms like “natural” and “organic” just because they sound good and are popular today. Once again, I feel that we must either become experts in this field or find a company that is the expert and one that we can trust.
I’ve found mine, how about you? Our family uses Shaklee.
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