September 27, 2007 

US chicken companies march to create 'natural' awareness

A coalition formed by various US chicken companies would be marching the streets of Washington, D.C., as part of a consumer education campaign.

The Truthful Labelling Coalition's campaign aims to reform labelling rules regarding the term "natural".

The Coalition was launched in May by poultry processors Sanderson Farms Inc., Foster Farms and Gold'n Plump Poultry with the aim of lobbying the USDA to change what the group labeled as a "flawed definition of 'natural'".

The Truthful Labelling Coalition's campaign wants to see the USDA allowing only 100 percent natural chicken (with no additives) to be labelled as Natural. It also wants the USDA to require that all chicken producers identify all added ingredients in bold.

The groups charged that some chickens carrying the "natural" label actually includes sodium, water and other additives, thanks to a loophole in USDA rules.