As this blog has noted numerous times, the use of certain terms like “natural” on food labels can be problematic when individual ingredients come under scrutiny.
Kashi, the health cereal brand owned by by Kellogg’s, will no longer be advertised using certain phrasing after a lawsuit has forced the company to change its wording. Specifically, it will remove the words “all natural” on all relevant products and pay a settlement fee of $5 million.
The New York Times reports that the lawsuit stems back to 2011, and quotes a spokeswoman from the company named Kris Charles, who explained their position in a statement. Charles said that Kellogg’s is attempting to adjust its practices to stay relevant to health and environmental concerns while still fulfilling its duty to its customer base.
“We will comply with the terms of the settlement agreement by the end of the year and will continue to ensure our foods meet our high quality and nutrition standards while delivering the great taste people expect,” she said.
It just seems to be one of a growing number of businesses who are paying the price for declaring their products as natural when certain ingredients seem to indicate otherwise. Bakery Marie Callendar has also, according to the Washington Examiner, been included in a class action suit for using artificial ingredients.
It’s possible that these kinds of lawsuits are only going to increase as the public becomes more aware of the pervasiveness of synthetic elements in different foods. Consumer actions can gain steam quickly thanks to the internet, even if the legal action takes some time to reach a conclusion.
This is why industrial labeling systems are needed to print packaging that accurately describes a product while leaving little room for misunderstanding. Vague language like “natural” might sound appropriate but ultimately end up being misleading.