'Natural' Foods Rile Up Organic Advocates

Americans are buying more so-called "natural" foods and angering advocates of organic, who say the distinction is a scam, the Chicago Tribune reports. The natural food market—that is, any food labeled "natural"—has spiked by 10% to $12.9 billion with cheaper-than-organic prices. But it's mostly unregulated. "Our fear is that they are going to blur this line" between natural and organic foods, says one organic expert.

In fact, most Americans believe natural is greener than organic, one survey shows. While producers of "natural" food can claim that certain ingredients—like hormones and artificial colors—are left out, herbicides and antibiotics may be left in, organic advocates say. So far the USDA only regulates natural meat and poultry, saying they must be minimally processed.
(More organic food stories.)