What does 'natural' really mean?

Customers are increasingly looking for food products that are sustainable, ethical, and healthy. But so many of the claims that brands make are just marketing. Terms like 'natural' and 'clean' can simply be words that make a product sound sustainable but have no measurable criteria. 

A combination of using these buzzwords, in addition to giving product packaging a 'green' makeover, aims to give customers the impression that they are doing something to help the environment when they purchase those products. But this may not be true.

There are many ways to find out if the product you like is actually doing good things or if they are just changing their branding. Brands that are making actual sustainable or nutritional changes often show up in the news. They will also list third-party certifications that have been obtained. If you're interested in looking beyond the buzzwords, a quick search will be a big help.