DAVID PETERS, CEO OATWORKS: We decided to go with the phrase ‘Nothing Artificial’
Next we spoke to David Peters, founder and CEO of Oatworks, which makes fruit smoothies packed with oat beta glucan.
Are 'all-natural’ claims still appealing?
Given the widespread use of ‘all-natural’ claims, it is inevitable that consumers have developed some skepticism surrounding the phrase. Following some high-profile lawsuits, companies might be better advised to use more specific terminology relating to particular ingredients or ‘free-from ingredient X’ claims.
We considered using the phrase ‘all-natural’ but, given the pitfalls, as well as its seemingly ubiquitous use, we decided to go with the phrase ‘Nothing Artificial’.
We also endeavored to keep our ingredients list as short as possible, since this is a method used by some consumers to determine the ‘naturalness’ of a product.
We believe that there is still more work to be done in educating consumers about the type of ingredients they should be look for. For example, Oatworks products contain no added sugar, but there are many products which highlight that they are ‘all-natural’ or ‘organic’, yet contain large quantities of organic raw cane sugar. Consumers could be forgiven for thinking that an ‘all-natural’ or ‘organic’ product is going to be healthier for them, but is organic sugar any better for you than non-organic sugar?
Should the FDA define ‘natural’?
We believe that it would help to remove significant uncertainty. Without a strict definition, there is too much room for unscrupulous brands to make misleading marketing claims and confuse consumers into making inappropriate purchases. The beverage and snack bar categories are full of products masquerading as ‘healthy’ or ‘natural’, when in fact they are little more than sugar and water.