Dive Brief:
- General Mills has settled a lawsuit over its use of the phrase "all-natural" on some of its Nature Valley products.
- According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which filed the lawsuit two years ago, the agreement prevents General Mills from describing products that contain high-fructose corn syrup and/or maltodextrin as "natural."
- In an unrelated move, General Mills announced the layoff schedule connected to its previously announced closure of cereal plant in Lodi, CA.
Dive Insight:
The most remarkable thing about the debate over "natural" labels is that any food manufacturer would still be using them. In this particular case - which can be traced to concerns from CSPI dating back to 2005 - General Mills says it has already discontinued use of the term "natural" on Nature Valley products.
It's clearly time for the rest of the industry to follow suit and accept that "natural" is not a battle it can win.