Does 100% Natural Mean GMO-Free? Natural Regulators Side with MonsantoElizabeth Renter However, the agency who is in charge of certifying personal care items as natural seems to think GMO ingredients fit under this umbrella. No matter what product it is, 100% natural does NOT also mean GMO-free. The Natural Products Association (NPA) claims its role in regards to personal care items is to help consumers choose those products that contain only safe and natural ingredients. They say their job is to protect and equip consumers to maximize their well being. As a result, they developed a set of guidelines and a certification process for personal care creators. The essence of their labeling process is that the product must contain only 100% natural ingredients, be safe and free of ingredients with any suspected human health risk, be free from animal testing, and be packaged in environmentally friendly materials. But not only do they ignore the negative effects of GMOs, they do not even mention genetically modified ingredients on their positive list of ingredients. They act as if they dont exist. In other wordsthey allow GMO ingredients to receive the natural certification. The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is leading a charge to have this changed. Ronnie Cummins, the Executive Director of the agency says the NPA is deceiving consumers by leading them to believe that the products they buy, stamped with the NPA Natural Seal, are truly natural. There is nothing natural about GMOs. Admittedly, products claiming to be 100% natural do have a higher chance of being better than products not carrying the label, but its important to know what the label really means. The definition of a natural product has no defined parameters in law or regulation, so essentially these products can be and many times are as contaminated as what the consumer may have originally tried to avoid. Under federal regulations, its entirely acceptable to include additives that are not even deemed as natural, or use unnatural preparation methods like genetic modification or pasteurization. The product only has to be part natural. What can you Do? The OCA has begun a petition campaign and you can contribute. Soon after receiving thousands of emails, the NPA began blocking them. But the campaign is now being waged on social media sites. You can find the drafted email here on the OCA website and also find links to the NPAs Facebook and LinkedIn pages. It takes about two minutes to do your part. Tell the NPA to wise up about GMOs and stand by their promise to protect consumers. And of course, we recommend buying 100% organic as much as possible, and purchasing items that contain the NON-GMO Project seal. Explore More: 