Not Naturally, but Simply

PepsiCo jettisons the term “natural” in favor of “simply,” although the products themselves remain unchanged.

January 29, 2014

NEW YORK – PepsiCo has stopped using the word “natural” in some brands, switching to “simply” instead, the Associated Press reports. The change involves on the name, not the ingredients, of a select group of products.

Included in the name change are the “Simply Natural” line of Frito-Lay salty snacks, which now are “Simply,” and “Natural Quaker Granola” has become “Simply Quaker Granola.” The company said renaming the products from natural to simply are part of an update to its marketing plan. “We constantly update our marketing and packaging,” said Candace Mueller-Medina, a spokeswoman for Quaker.

However, food and beverage companies, PepsiCo included, have had issues with using “natural” in product names and marketing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed a “natural” designation on products without “added color, color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.”

In 2013, because of a lawsuit pointed out Naked Juices had artificial ingredients, PepsiCo said it would take out “all natural” off the labels. The company also has faced lawsuits over its some of its chips being called “natural.” Other food and beverage makers are leaving “natural” behind. Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers ice cream also settled lawsuits over “all natural” and will remove those words from packaging.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement