Seeing an idyllic image of a pastoral scene or “natural” in big letters on a box of cereal may make you think it’s a wholesome choice, but that isn’t always the case. What’s more, you could be paying more for a cereal that is less pure than lower-priced alternatives.
Those are conclusions of a report by the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit group that investigates agricultural issues. The nuts and bolts of the findings are revealed in the report’s title, “Cereal Crimes:
How 'Natural' Claims Deceive Consumers and Undermine the Organic Label — A Look Down the Cereal and Granola Aisle.” You can read it here.
“Natural” and “Organic”
For most people, the differences between these terms aren’t obvious and they can easily be confused. In fact, “natural” is often viewed as more valuable — meaning consumers are willing to pay more for such products — than organic, whereas it should be the other way around.
If something is “natural,” you quite logically expect it to be free of chemicals — but that isn’t necessarily so. The term “natural” has no legal definition, so it means whatever a food manufacturer wants it to mean. “Natural” cereals could contain chemical preservatives and pesticide residues, and toxic chemicals could be used during their manufacturing process — and it’s perfectly legal.
In contrast, use of the word “organic” is tightly regulated by the USDA. By law, organic foods are not permitted to contain chemical preservatives, flavorings, colors, or any other chemical ingredients. Organic cereal can’t be grown with the same chemical pesticides used on nonorganic commercial farms. And toxic chemicals are not allowed during the manufacturing or packaging process.
For organic foods, there’s a complex procedure of certification, by agencies that are approved as certifiers by the USDA. It’s a big deal that definitely requires more effort on the part of the manufacturer.
However, because we prefer wholesome, unadulterated food, we can be fooled by the “natural” label or even a package that has an earthy, environmentally conscious appearance — even if it doesn’t use the word.
Smart Cereal Shopping
The bottom line is that it just doesn’t pay to be complacent when choosing cereals (or any other foods). There’s no getting around the fact that it’s smart to read ingredient labels. And be aware of the difference between natural and organic.
The Cornucopia Institute also found that company names can be deceiving. Bear Naked cereal sounds as though it’s made by a mom-and-pop company that’s on a mission to bring you something natural (in the real sense of the word). But it’s really owned by Kellogg Company, even though you couldn’t tell it if you examined the cereal box with a microscope or visited the Bear Naked website.
To make its report findings useful, Cornucopia put together a cereal scorecard where you can check individual brands. You can see it here.
There’s also what I consider a lazy way to buy wholesome cereal: Just look for 100 percent organic ingredients. Some organic brands cost less than their “natural” imitators.
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