Brian Rudolph, Banza: At a minimum, this will spark a debate
Next we caught up with Brian Rudolph, founder & CEO of chickpea pasta pioneer Banza.
I’m for it. At a minimum, it sparks debate and brings awareness to the topic. At best, while unlikely, we may end up with a legal definition for the word ‘natural.’
Anything that encourages conversation around the origins of our food is a positive. We’re a country disconnected from what we eat. I mean, one in five meals are eaten in the car. How much could we possibly be thinking about where that food comes from, let alone what it even is? We eat too much and we do it mindlessly. Conversations like this one posed by the FDA are not the ultimate solution, but they are a step in the right direction.
I’d like to see something that both helps consumers avoid confusion and pressures manufacturers to improve. That being said, it won’t be easy. Natural is about so much more than just ingredients. It’s also about process. It will be difficult to draw a line on what constitutes a natural and unnatural process.