Don't let that label fool you! As the Wall Street Journal found out, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) are pretty broad in how they define "natural". Not all the labeling half-truths are deadly and are done mostly to make consumers think they are getting more than they paid for. Things like yogurt and wheat bread are basically labeled to make us feel think we're getting more nutrients into our body. What's really shocking about the article, is how we all fall for it. The article cites how chickens are injected with water to "plump" them up, as well as salt to retain the water, thereby increasing its sodium content. Apparently because salt and water are "natural" as opposed to being chemically created, the chicken can still be called natural:

"A survey released this week from Foster Farms, a member of the Truthful Labeling Coalition, found that 63% of consumers are unaware of the practice, and 82% believe that salt-water-injected chicken shouldn't carry the all-natural label."

Labels: In the News