5 Differences between Natural and Organic - Don't be fooled by the "Natural" label!

Many people are still confused about what organic is and this word is conveniently used when the product is not even close to being organic. The organic lifestyle although niche in Malaysia has been around for a while now but recently conventional products have been marketing their "natural" brands so aggressively that, in a positive light there is higher health awareness from consumers now, but unfortunately, these brands have been nothing but misleading.

So what's the difference between natural and organic? Isn't "natural food" the same as organic food made from real ingredients and is equally safe and healthy? The answer is no.

1)  Natural does not mean Organic. 

Usually people assume "natural" is safe and healthy to consume because it is less processed with no artificial flavours or colours. But people fail to see how the food is grown, where pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, petroleum-based fertilizers are being used, and these are harmful to your well-being and to the environment as well.

On the contrary, organic products use NONE of these chemical ingredients throughout their entire production cycle.

Image from kontrolmag.com

2)  There are no regulations for the label "Natural". 

In the food industry, the meaning of "natural" varies from different manufacturers to different stores. The word "natural" has no regulated definition. So it can mean anything, plus there are no rules or regulations for products to be labelled "natural".  Therefore, the "natural" label can easily be found on many food and products, but they still contain all sorts of processed ingredients.

Image from metrofarm.com

3)  Organic is the most heavily regulated food system.

The term "organic" is strictly regulated and defined. To be labelled "organic", the food must be grown with a set of farming practices clearly defined and regulated. The farmers and producers are inspected rigorously in order to obtain an organic certification from an independent third-party certification body. This ensures your product has no chemicals, hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, basically no traces of any sort of chemicals that are harmful to you. These trusted certification bodies have each of their own guidelines but are very similar to one another and are of high standards

Some trusted organic certification seals to look out for:

 

Click on the logos to find out more info.
You can also read the guidelines for organic food certification in Malaysia here.

4)  Organic says NO to animal testing

If you click on BDIH's seal above, one of the criteria to obtain the certification is that it is prohibited to carry out animal testing - not only when manufacturing products, but also when developing and controlling the end products.
The "natural" label does not have any animal welfare requirements.

5)  Organic supports Fair Trade

Fair trade is a social movement to help producers and farmers in developing countries to secure better deals, better trading conditions and to promote sustainability. This also prevents workers from getting exploited, and provide them the opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. So when you buy an organic product, you are indirectly reducing poverty in these countries. 

In a nut shell, plenty of products on the shelves are labelled "natural" but really this label is plastered on as a marketing tool to attract health conscious consumers. This label DOES NOT mean there aren't a lot of non-natural ingredients in them. Do not fall for the misleading label or claim. Be sure to read the ingredients label before you buy! The easier way when buying organic goods is to look out for the certified organic seal which you can trust.

Stay tuned for my next blog post where I will be talking about what kind of harmful ingredients to avoid.

Meanwhile, watch this video by ABC News: