As American consumers have shifted more and more to purchasing better-for-you foods, many mainstream brands have been happy to exploit the use of the term "natural" as a generally effective positioning tactic. The reason they find it so useful is that regulators don't force them to define "natural," unlike the term "organic," which is specifically defined by the U.S. Agriculture Department.

So one of the "natural" products out there is Tropicana's "100% pure Florida orange juice." But a growing number of lawsuits have taken exception to the PepsiCo unit's use of that term because, they allege, Tropicana adds chemically engineered "flavor packs" to its juice so it tastes consistently sweet and the same year-round. The suit-bringers got together this week in court to figure out how to proceed.

Tropicana has declined to comment but said in a statement that it remains committed to ful compliance with labeling laws and to producing "great-tasting 100-percent orange juice."

Other brands, including PepsiCo's Tostitos and SunChips, and Snapple, and even Ben & Jerry's, have faced attacks over how they exploit the vague terms "natural" and "all-natural."Continue reading...

When we profiled the Kashi brand in 2010, it was a company emerging as a leader in the natural and organic food category. While it started out making cereals, after being acquired in 2000 by the cereal giant Kellogg, Kashi embarked on an aggressive expansion plan to expand its brand to snack bars, crackers, cookies, waffles, pizza, and frozen entrees.

Kashi has continued to bask in the positive light of natural and organic goodness, fueled by the 9.5 percent growth of the U.S. organic industry in 2011 to a cool $31.5 billion in sales, according to the Organic Trade Association. Arguably, Kashi has been a natural and organic foods darling — an example of a brand that stayed true to its core — and certainly not one expected to be connected with controversy. Until recently.Continue reading...

In an effort at transparency, Frito-Lay is laying its chips on the square — New York’s Times Square, that is.

The ubiquitous chip-maker today launched its Flavor Kitchen interactive experience some 22 stories high in the Big Apple’s heart, broadcasting from jumbo screens on the Thomson Reuters Building across from the Hard Rock Cafe.Continue reading...

What do Cheetos, Froot Loops, Pop-Tarts, Hostess Twinkies, Jell-O, Lucky Charms, M&M’s and Minute Maid Lemonade have in common?

They may soon be carrying warnings that their bright artificial colorings may be worsening behavioral problems such as hyperactivity in kids. 

The US FDA has asked a panel of experts to sort through new evidence on possible health risks and other adverse effects in two days of hearings beginning today and make recommendations on potential policy changes, include warning labels.

Consumer advocates are welcoming the inquiry, as it has taken three years to get to this week's hearings. A petition was filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest in 2008 asking regulators to ban Red 40, Yellow 5 and six other colorings, according to the Associated Press.Continue reading...