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Natural Food

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Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics

Introduction

In April 2012, a picture of a note posted in a natural food store in Rhode Island went viral. It stated that Kashi cereals were taken off the shelves because they were made with genetically modified ingredients. For many customers, the use of genetically modified soy was incompatible with the company’s “natural” labeling, but Kashi argued they had not done anything wrong. As a spokesperson explained, “the company defines natural as ‘food that’s minimally processed, made with no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners.’”

This case highlights the confusion around the concept of natural food. The Codex Alimentarius, established by the International Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, includes no principles or guidelines for the production and labeling of natural food (World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2013). Many countries have nonetheless developed their own definitions of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Université de Montréal, Collège Lionel-Groulx, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Dr. Antoine C. Dussault

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  1. Dr. Antoine C. Dussault
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Correspondence to Antoine C. Dussault .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University Dept. Philosophy, East Lansing, Michigan, USA

    Paul B. Thompson

  2. University of North Texas Dept. Philosophy & Religion Studies, Denton, Texas, USA

    David M. Kaplan

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Dussault, A.C. (2013). Natural Food. In: Thompson, P., Kaplan, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_241-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_241-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6167-4

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