WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Officials at Ben & Jerry's, a division of the British-Dutch Unilever conglomerate, say they will phase out the "all natural" claims on its products.
The amicably resolved dispute originated with a letter the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington sent last month to Ben & Jerry's, saying at least 48 of its products were improperly labeled "all natural" when they contain alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, or other ingredients that aren't natural.
"Ben & Jerry's is doing the right thing by taking the phrase 'all natural' off its labels if the products have factory-made ingredients," Michael F. Jacobson, CSPI executive director, says in a statement. "The Food and Drug Administration could do consumers and food manufacturers a great service by actually defining when the word 'natural' can and cannot be used to characterize a given ingredient."
The CSPI criticized Ben & Jerry's for using the term 'natural' in a misleading way. However, CSPI says none of the questionable ingredients the company used was unsafe, but plenty of ingredients that really are natural are still bad for good health.
