Nowadays, natural expression is frequently seen on food labels and product promotions. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines natural food as foods that do not contain artificial sweeteners, colored ingredients, chemical preservatives, or artificial or synthetic substances.
Previously, natural food was only intended for meat and poultry products. In general, natural means that it does not contain synthetic or artificial components or is processed in very small amounts. By very small amounts of processing, it is meant that it does not substantially change the raw product.
Organic products are generally considered natural. Because in organic agricultural activities, the growth of plants and animals fed with these plants is almost entirely in healthy soils with compost instead of artificial chemicals. Natural food stores generally market organic products. Unfortunately, the labels on the products are not intended to inform but to market the products.
Natural foods are offered to consumers on various labels, many of which are uncertain, and are widely marketed. The concept of natural usually implies foods that are very little processed and are completely natural products. However, the lack of very clear standards is confusing that this concept is fully guaranteed.
In some countries, the term natural is defined and applied. However, there is no obligation in some countries, including the US. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not made a definition for the use of the natural term or its derivatives. However, the general approach is that if foods do not contain color, artificial flavors or artificial substances, they are natural.
When people say natural food, they accept that there is nothing in nature that is not there. However, natural expression can be written on almost all products on the market. Therefore, people see their natural expression as a marketing tool instead of a health declaration.
However, when it comes to natural products, it is necessary to take an approach that deals with the use of pesticides or food production methods, for example, to destroy or control harmful organisms in agriculture. Food processing or production methods such as thermal technologies, pasteurization or irradiation should not be applied when preparing foodstuffs.
The terms processed and unprocessed food are often misunderstood. Unhealthy packaged foods that contain empty calories and large amounts of additives are considered processed food, whereas non-canned, frozen or unpackaged foods are considered unprocessed food. However, these definitions are not correct.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, processed food is food that has undergone character changes. For example, raw hazelnut is unprocessed food and roasted hazelnut is processed food. Spinach cut and pre-washed like this is processed food.
Among the different concepts is the concept of organic, which has the closest criteria to the concept of natural. Organic meat and poultry, eggs and dairy products are obtained from animals without antibiotics or growth hormone. Organic plant foods are generally obtained without the use of chemical drugs (pesticides), fertilizers made with synthetic components and bioengineering or ionizing radiation.
In addition to organic agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture has USDA standards covering organic processing managements. After the necessary audits are carried out by the authorized institutions, an approved certificate is given to the companies. In this way, enterprises are proved to meet the relevant standards.
There are three levels that indicate that food is organic and therefore natural:
Percent 100 organic: Foods that are completely organic or produced exclusively from organic materials
Organic: Foods that have at least 95 percent of their components are organic
Produced with organic components: At least 70 percent of the components are organic foods
Processed foods are foods that are separated from one or more of their original elements. This means that the amount of valuable nutrients, fiber or water in its content is minimized. Natural foods, that is, all fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts and legumes, are provided by nature and are, by their very nature, the perfect food for the development and survival of the human body. Foodstuffs can be processed but cannot survive only in these foods.
In other words, natural food is the food intended for nature. Man-made, synthetic foods, or sugary, salted and processed foods lack many nutritional values necessary for health. It is full of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, vital vitamins, minerals and plant nutrients and is a source of life force that gives people physical and mental health and vitality.
Highly processed foods lead to unhealthy diseases. White flour-based products with high glycemic index, refined grains, refined sugar and syrups, biscuits, pastries, cakes, canned drinks and sports drinks are the leading foods.
Natural product certification studies are important in terms of people choosing natural products, trusting these products and trying to be healthy. Therefore, enterprises with natural product certificates increase their market shares, outperform their competitors and increase their productivity.
Food systems mainly depend on natural resources such as soil, water, biodiversity, minerals, biomass and fossil fuels. From the statistics, it is clear that these resources are not currently managed in a sustainable and efficient manner. Pressures on natural resources will increase further due to population growth, the need for more foodstuffs and the problems caused by climate change.
This creates risks for food production in the future. Considering future food demands and quality of life for future generations, there is a need for a fundamental transformation in food systems. Today, both food safety and human health depend entirely on natural resources.
While natural products are grown with natural fertilizers such as fertilizers and composts, traditionally grown crops are grown with synthetic or chemical fertilizers. In natural production, weeds are cleaned by natural methods such as crop rotation and hand picking, while in traditional production, weeds are controlled by chemical substances (herbicides). In natural production, harmful insects, birds, insects and established traps are removed by natural methods, while the traditional production of chemical pesticides (pesticides) and synthetic pesticides are used.
In natural animal husbandry, hormone and genetically unmodified feed is given, whereas in traditional animal husbandry, non-organic genetically modified feeds and growth hormones are used for faster growth. Diseases in natural animal husbandry are prevented by natural methods such as clean areas, rotational grazing and healthy nutrition, while antibiotics and drugs are used in traditional animal husbandry.
All these explanations reveal the importance of natural nutrition. The enterprises that use natural methods in agriculture and animal husbandry activities go to the certification of natural products in order to prove this situation. The competent authorities supervise, evaluate and certify the enterprises on the basis of domestic and foreign standards and agricultural and animal husbandry methods accepted worldwide.
First, it is determined whether the organization meets the mandatory requirements of the standard and whether to proceed to the next stage.
It is checked whether necessary procedures and audits have been developed and your institution's readiness for evaluation is reviewed.
The findings that arise in the first two stages are evaluated and after all corrective actions are reviewed, document preparation is started.
To get an appointment, to get more detailed information or to request an evaluation, you can ask us to fill in our form and reach you.
