Behind the label: What does “All Natural” REALLY Mean?

If you stroll down the aisles of your local grocery store, you’re more than likely to encounter the label: “natural” or “all-natural.” While these labels should seem straight-forward, and should indicate that the food is natural (i.e. close to nature), that hardly seems the case– especially when it’s slapped on snacks like Cheetos and Oreos, or on fruit drinks that contain high-fructose corn syrup. It’s almost oxymoronic, and yet a study has found that nearly 73% of shoppers look for products with the “natural” label — a greater percentage than those who purchased more stringently labeled “organic” foods. So what is the truth? Do these “natural” labels hold any merit? The short answer, no. The Food and Drug Administration has no official definition of “natural food” — in part, they say, because a great many foods in the grocery store have usually been processed or altered in some way and so it’s difficult to draw a clear line. In fact, back in 1991, the FDA even tried to come up with a more precise standard– only to eventually give up. The result thus became that the FDA doesn’t even regulate most uses of “natural” labels, only going so far as to occasionally send warning letters — if, say, a product is labeled “all-natural” but contains citric acid or calcium chloride or potassium sorbate. (Though, as one investigation by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found, those warning letters often go ignored by food companies.) A 2019 lawsuit in Washington D.C. aimed to challenge the use of the “natural” label on meat products. Animal rights group, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, argued that Hormel’s “Natural Choice” line misled consumers by implying their meats were free of antibiotics and hormones. However, the lawsuit was dismissed as “natural” under the USDA definition which simply requires minimal processing and no artificial ingredients. This broad definition allows products like Cheetos, some Oreos, and peanut butter to be labeled “natural,” even if the animals they come from were raised with antibiotics or hormones. In essence, Hormel’s packaging adhered to the legal definition of “natural” as outlined by the USDA. So, if you’d been wondering if an “all-natural” label is worth the extra dollar or two, the answer comes to a strict no. Instead, we recommend that you stick to the ingredient list. Since there is no official definition of natural, you should decide for yourself how YOU define natural and what actually matters to you when it comes to the foods and ingredients you’re putting into your body and feel confident in all of the items on the list. Our founder initially created the recipes for each of our products in her own kitchen for her son who has a corn allergy, and when she decided to mass produce them, she aimed to stay as close to her home recipes as possible. Every single ingredient used in all of our products is not only something you can pronounce but also something you’d find in your own kitchen. In the labyrinth of food labeling, the term “natural” is misleading at best, straight-up lying at worst. With no clear regulatory framework, it’s up to consumers to navigate the aisles with skepticism and a discerning eye, lest they fall victim to the marketing ploys of food conglomerates. As we ponder the contents of our shopping carts, one thing is clear: shop from brands you trust instead of trying to decipher labels at 2pm on a Sunday.

Eating Around the World: 3 Delicious Corn-Free French Meals to Satiate The Olympic Spirit

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that Paris has been a very interesting place to host the Olympics. From the Seine-debacle, to the masked man during the opening ceremony, everything about the Parisian locale has been buzzed about. But for those of us stuck chanting USA! USA! USA! from our living rooms, we’ve decided to curate a few delicious (corn-free!) French recipes to get you in that Olympic spirit – because not all of us can be as athletically gifted as these incredible athletes!   First things first, what French cuisine is known for? Besides the obvious answer (butter and bread), Parisians like to keep their day to day meals rather simple with whole foods, grains, greens, and (okay, yes) butter-y sauces. So what are the Parisian must haves for a full day of walking by the Seine?   For breakfast, look no further than a simple coffee and a croissant! Now, while you may feel overwhelmed by the concept of homemade croissants, we promise you can do it! Our fav recipe for this buttery staple is this one by Half Baked Harvest that features pictures and a step-by-step guide. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time beforehand and always make sure you’re using non-enriched flour and butter without natural flavors if your goal is to be corn-free.   Now, onto lunch! What’s more French than a Niçoise salad? Even the way the word curls in your mouth when you say it makes you feel just a little fancier. It’s high in protein and veggies so what isn’t there to love? But, we can do better than a simple salad, so pair your Niçoise with some Socca – a gluten-free chickpea flatbread that hails from Nice, France. Thankfully both these recipes are easy and light, which means they’re about to become your summer go to! Find our fav Niçoise recipe here, and Socca recipe here.   Finally, the pièce de resistance, dinnertime. Like any European country, Parisians love having their dinner late in the evening, around 9pm, and they especially love going all out! On the menu is Moules Frites (or Mussels and French Fries) and Ratatouille (which your kids will be sure to recognize from the Disney film!). Moules Frites is a delicately cooked dish rich in flavor and perfect for french fry lovers looking to change it up, while Ratatouille is a good way to get your veggies in in a tasty home-y way. For our corn-free friends, make sure the butter you use does NOT have natural flavors (those are usually made from corn), our fave brand is Vital Farms. We haven’t found any store bought french fries, but if you’re making your own here’s an air fryer recipe we follow – be sure to use a corn-free oil like avocado oil or olive oil.   Although we can’t be in Paris watching the US win gold, we can live vicariously through the talented athletes and enjoy a little French meal from the comfort of our homes.

Your Fav Snacks Are Probably Banned in Europe

The average American grocery shops at least 8 times per month, which means you’re probably overly familiar with the colorful cereal and snack aisles that always seem to draw the eye. While these snacks are tasty, eye-catching and have obviously put a lot of work into their marketing, there’s a big problem we have to address: the ingredients.   Have you ever taken a trip to Europe, bought one of your fav snacks and thought to yourself, “why does it taste different?” Well, that’s because Skittles, Fruit Loops, M&Ms, Poptarts and other snack-classics all contain ingredients that have been indicated to harm our health. In fact, many items in our snack aisles are banned in other countries because of their ingredients.   Europe has currently banned over 2000 ingredients that have been linked to cancer and other such negative health affects, which is why your go-to sweet treat tastes just a little bit different. Some common ingredients you’ll find in a U.S. grocery store, that are banned in Europe, include: artificial coloring (i.e. Red 40), Titanium dioxide (also known as E171); Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) (E443); Potassium bromate (E924); Azodicarbonamide (E927a), and Propylparaben (E217). And what’s crazy is that so many of these ingredients are actually derived from corn!   So, if you ever find yourself comparing a US versus UK ingredient list of the same snack, you may end up being fairly shocked. For example, American Oreos contain titanium dioxide, our Fruit Loops contain artificial colors and flavors, and our M&Ms contain all those dyes that make them irresistibly colorful.   Of course this doesn’t mean you can’t shop at your local grocery store or that everything you eat has the potential to cause you harm. There are good brands out there that use healthy ingredients approved by Europe’s version of the FDA. The best course of action is to read the ingredient lists of everything you buy, do your research on what ingredients you personally want to avoid, and follow good accounts like @thefoodbabe to learn about more meaningful swaps!   However, we also truly believe in the philosophy that All Foods Fit and that there are no bad foods out there so if you find yourself snacking on some M&Ms at the movie theatre or stealing some oreos at your child’s bake sale, don’t beat yourself up. One food is never going to make or break your health. Our goal is to encourage you to be more aware of what you’re putting in your bodies and where all of the ingredients are coming from so that you can make an INFORMED choice.

Our “corn-free” label & corn allergies

As a mom of 2 little boys with corn allergies, I’ve been navigating the intricately complex world of corn for over 3 years now and still feel like I learn something new every day.   For starters, there are over 1800 corn derivatives so it’s nearly impossible to avoid corn without being extremely diligent or cooking everything yourself (and even then corn can creep in unknowingly).   And then people with corn allergies can have varying levels of sensitivity to corn. For example, if you’re “corn lite” it means that you can eat all sorts of corn derivatives (i.e. citric acid, maltodextrin, etc) whereas if you’re “corn moderate” you can eat some derivatives but not others.   One of my sons is corn moderate to severe and my older son is corn severe, which means he will react to any corn derivatives that he ingests and some topically (i.e. if it’s in a lotion that is absorbed into skin).   On top of the sensitivity levels, there’s also exposure type. For example, even though my sons are moderate/severe and severe, they have absolutely no reactions to airborne corn and can also touch all sorts of corn products (i.e. play dough made with corn starch) without having a reaction.   OUR DEFINITION OF CORN-FREE   Because there are so many variations of corn allergies and sensitivities, I thought it was extremely important to define how we defined “corn-free”:   Absolutely NO corn derivatives   I painstakingly researched every single ingredient and supplier to ensure that not only were there no corn derivatives in any of our ingredients but also wanted to understand how our ingredients were made.   For example, our pure vanilla extract is made from alcohol made from sugarcane (not corn) and our agave doesn’t use any corn-derived enzymes or processing agents.   No hidden processing agents that aren’t on the label Most food manufacturers use all sorts of processing agents to coat machinery to prevent the food from getting stuck to the sides.   Because it’s such a small amount, they food brands do NOT have to put this on the label.   Oftentimes, manufacturers will just use whatever they have on hand that is cheapest.   This also means that it’s most likely corny, which is why you can have a reaction to a food even though none of the ingredients on the label are corn-dervied.   We will ONLY use processing agents that are part of our ingredient list (i.e. Extra Virgin Olive Oil) even though it’s more expensive.   This way, you’ll ALWAYS know that what you see on the label is what you’re getting in your body.   Full Allergen Clean on Shared Machinery Until we get big enough to have our own completely corn-free facility, we are unfortunately using machinery that also produces other snack foods that have corn and corn derivatives.   However, we do a full allergen clean and swab before any of our product touches the machinery and send those swabs out for testing for any residue.   We get the results back before we sell any of our products.   DISCLAIMER & What this means for you: IF you have a severe corn allergy and also react to corn when it is airborne, then you should absolutely proceed with caution because unfortunately our facility produces other products that are made from corn.   Following all allergen protocols   All of our team members are always wearing proper protective gear when producing our product to ensure that no outside contaminants (i.e. a corny crumb from someone’s beard) would never make it into our batches.   Testing   My son with a severe corn allergy has never had a reaction to any of our products, but as I mentioned, he does NOT react to airborne corn. We’ve given our product out to several people with varying levels of corn allergies/sensitivities and have not had a single person react; however, everyone’s allergy is different.   As you probably already know, if your allergy is extremely severe and you react to exposure that is NOT ingested then you should always proceed with caution because things like packaging might trigger a reaction.   As a corn allergy mama x2, I FEEL your pain and frustration SO deeply and want you to know that it is my DREAM to grow big enough to create an entirely corn-free facility so that we can produce a whole line of corn-free products to suit people with all levels of corn allergies, and I hope you’ll join us for the ride. If you ever have any questions about allergen protocols or have a reaction, PLEASE email us at allergy@cobfoods.com