"Natural colours and flavourings"

[Berkanan]

Hey,

So I was buying some sweets for my omnivorous little sister (Why does that sound like an insult?) and I picked up some that said 'Contains only natural colours and flavourings'. Intrigued, I looked at the ingredients on the back. Cochineal.

I'm sorry but what on Earth is natural about boiling up a bug to produce red food dye!?

Do you think that the food industry should have these types of food additive under a different name other than natural? Or maybe rephrase it to, 'Derived from natural sources- Not suitable for vegetarians and vegans' even though that probably wouldn't look as good on the packaging?

-Millie

[Risker]

It's pretty meaningless marketing terminology IMHO. Being categorised as natural or artificial has no bearing on how good/bad an ingredient is for you.

People just like to think that natural = good for some reason.

[Berkanan]

Whether it's good/bad for you or not still doesn't make it natural, marketing terminology; shmarketing terminology. There should be more available about where additives come from, then people would actually know what is actually natural, and what's just called natural because it's made from an animal.

(And that's honestly not meant to sound as rude as it does) :)

[Mymblesdaughter]

It is natural though isn't it. As long as it hasn't been produced in a laboratory most people think of it as natural. As Risker said it doesn't mean it's healthy or you want to eat it. I saw some natural sweets in M and S they were in the shape of pigs, when I look at the ingredients they contain pork gelatin. I was surprised, I don't think many people will like the idea that pig shaped sweets contain actual pig.

[Berkanan]

Ahh fair enough, my bad, after further research I found I'm just sensitive XD By my standards it isn't natural, but I accept that it is considered natural :)

[shaunamom]

Honestly, in the last few years of researching labels, I've become really disheartened by how little useful meaning is attached to so many of them, IMO. Gluten is allowed in gluten free food. Genetically modified products are allowed in 'organic' products. Natural is anything where the original substance wasn't created in a lab - like crushed minerals added to help cheese powder flow better through machinery. That's natural too, and you'll find it in some cheesy products with powdered cheese. :umm_ani:

Arsenic is natural too. Doesn't mean we want to see it added to our food.

At this point, I just remind myself that 'natural' doesn't mean it's good to eat, good for us, or produced with ethical considerations in mind, yeah?