Natural? Define “Natural”.
Everything is so confusing. What does “natural” or “artificial” mean?
For example, elderberry ice cream has added color from anthocyanins that were isolated from elderberries. THAT makes sense. The added color is considered natural since the elderberry color would be expected in an elderberry ice cream.
Now it gets weird. If the ice cream were colored with anthocyanins isolated from purple sweet potato, the added color would be considered artificial, as the consumer would not expect color from purple sweet potato in a product called elderberry ice cream.
As if playing confusion pile-on, the EU and US define terms differently. In the EU artificial color is an acceptable reference to what is recognized in the US as “color additives subject to certification,” “certified colors”, “Food, Drugs & Cosmetics (FD&C) colors”, or “synthetic colors”.
What?
Another example is sodium copper chlorophyllin, which is only approved in the USA for use in citrus-based dry beverage mixes, while in the EU it is allowed to color many more food and beverage applications. And lutein is allowed for use as a food and beverage color additive in the EU but not in the USA.
Finally, if you isolate naturally derived colors from different sources the approvals change, depending on whether you are a US or EU company.
According to a colorant industry spokesperson, “This potential for confusion and misinterpretation of a label by a consumer is limiting to the food manufacturer that uses naturally derived color additives and does not want to disclose the source of coloring.”
She said: “It is essential that we learn to appreciate the language of color additives and how this language can change depending on the region in which you are working.”
Alternatively, hey, I have an idea. Just eat normal food. Steer clear of eating something that requires legalese or is a blatant oxymoron (natural synthetic!).
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