'Natural': no formal definition
This surprises people: the FDA has not established a formal, legal definition of 'natural' for food. It has a longstanding informal policy — it does not object to 'natural' as long as nothing artificial or synthetic (including any added color, regardless of source) has been added that would not normally be expected in that food. The FDA requested public comment on whether to define the term back in 2016, but has not finalized one.
Crucially, the 'natural' policy does not address:
- how the food was produced — pesticides, fertilizers, or genetic engineering;
- how it was processed — pasteurization, irradiation, or other methods;
- any nutritional or health benefit.
So 'natural' is a weak signal: it mainly implies no artificial ingredients or added color, and little else. (For meat and poultry, 'natural' is separately defined by the USDA as minimally processed with no artificial ingredients.)
Because 'natural' is so loosely defined, it has been the subject of many consumer lawsuits. Do not read it as 'organic,' 'non-GMO,' 'pesticide-free,' or 'healthy' — it means none of those.
'Organic': a strict USDA program
'Organic' is the opposite — one of the most tightly regulated terms on a label, governed not by the FDA but by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). It prohibits synthetic fertilizers, most synthetic pesticides, GMOs, sewage sludge, and irradiation, and requires certification by a USDA-accredited agent. There are four labeling tiers:
| Label | Requirement | USDA seal? |
|---|---|---|
| 100% organic | Every ingredient and processing aid is certified organic | Yes |
| Organic | At least 95% organic ingredients; the rest from an approved National List | Yes |
| Made with organic ___ | At least 70% organic ingredients | No |
| Below 70% organic | May only name specific organic ingredients in the ingredient list | No |
Only the top two tiers may display the USDA Organic seal. Producers with $5,000 or less in annual organic sales are exempt from certification but must still follow the standards and may not call their product 'certified organic.'
And the other buzzwords?
Most other front-of-pack terms are not federally defined: 'clean,' 'natural' (as above), 'regenerative,' 'sustainably sourced,' 'green.' Two that are: 'free-range' is USDA-regulated for poultry, and 'bioengineered' — the disclosure for GMO foods — follows a separate USDA standard. When a term is not regulated, the ingredient list and the Nutrition Facts panel tell you more than the marketing word does.
The bottom line
'Organic' is a verified, certified production standard. 'Natural' is a loose, mostly-undefined marketing term. If a specific production method matters to you, look for 'USDA Organic' (or the relevant certified claim) rather than 'natural' — and check the ingredient list either way.