FDA Takes a Step Forward on 'Natural' Food Labeling

Companies in the food industry are likely looking to the future after the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Nov. 12 announcement that it would begin considering public comments on how to define “natural” food. In an article co-authored for Law360, Faegre Baker Daniels partner Sarah Brew and associate Courtney Lawrence observed that “no term has created more litigation for the food industry in recent years than ‘natural.’” The article provided an in-depth look at the public comment process, the ways in which a new FDA standard for “natural” foods could impact food companies and the implications for parties currently involved in litigation for their “natural” labels.

“While this initial step does not necessarily mean the FDA will ultimately define ‘natural,’ it has important and potentially far-reaching implications for food companies facing related litigation or with products labeled ‘natural,’” the article said.