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Keywords

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), labeling, regulation, authority, litigation, preemption doctrine, implied field preemption, savings clause, artificial flavoring, federal law, states rights

Document Type

Comment

Abstract

The recent rise of consumer consciousness regarding the health qualities of foods and beverages has become something akin to common knowledge. Reflecting this rise, studies reveal that labels regarding the health qualities of a food are more likely to increase sales. And among the health labels consumers prefer, labels describing the product as natural top the list. One website reports that according to a recent study, 31.3-percent of respondents thought that "100% natural" was the best description to read on a label, compared with only 14.2-percent who thought that "100% organic" was the best description. "All natural ingredients" was the second most preferred description; it was preferred by 25.4-percent of respondents. Because it is such a powerful phrase in labeling, how the term "natural" should be used is a hotly contested issue.

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