Wildtree defines "natural" as containing no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, hydrogenated oils, or irradiation. They have a detailed "Do Not Use" list of over 70 ingredients they prohibit in products, including artificial sweeteners, GMOs, many preservatives, and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. While the FDA has not formally defined "natural", Wildtree self-regulates its products according to its own definition and prohibited ingredients list to assure customers of its "natural" products.

1. “WHAT IS NATURAL”?
What is
Wildtree’s “Natural”?

2. “Natural” – a little history
• The industrial revolution transformed
the food supply in the 20th century
from dependence on locally grown
fruits, vegetables and meats cooked
at home to large companies using
many new ingredients from many
different sources.

3. • The food became processed and by
the mid 20th century many new
chemicals were added to “aid”
processing, enhance flavor,
preserve flavor and color, extend
shelf life, prevent mold, etc…

4. • As many childhood diseases were
eliminated, the medical research
focus turned to diseases that
emerge in old age.
• Cancer began to be thought of as
caused by chemicals…
• This laid the foundation for the
Delaney Clause.

5. • The Delaney Clause (1958) is still in
effect. It prohibits the FDA from
approving any food additive found to
induce cancer in humans or animals.
• 1960’s countercultures – organic
movement. Many had strong
reservations about using certain
chemicals and processing methods
in food production.

6. • 1970s, FDA issued new regulations
defining “natural flavor and color” so
that consumers could make more
informed decisions about the foods
they purchased.

7. • 1988, the FDA informally defined
natural to mean that nothing artificial
or synthetic has been added to a
food that would not normally be
expected to be in the food.

8. • 1991, FDA has concerns over
evidence that natural was used on a
variety of products to mean a variety
of things. The FDA reviewed
definitions by other agencies, state
governments, the food industry and
solicited a wide range of comments
from industry.

9. • 1993, the FDA announced its
decision not to define the term
natural due to limited resources and
other priorities but will retain its 1988
policy noted above.

10. Conflict and Controversy
• 2006, the Sugar Association
petitioned FDA to define natural by
regulation to exclude high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS), a request that
was strenuously opposed by the
Corn Products Association. Sara
Lee submitted a separate petition
asking FDA to collaborate with
USDA to establish a single definition
of natural by regulation.

11. • The FDA is unlikely to grant either of
these petitions because FDA does
not review and approve product
labeling prior to marketing.
• The FDA has little incentive to
expend the resources that defining
natural by regulation would
consume.

12. • This means that there is no realistic
possibility that a single definition of
natural will be established in the
near future.

13. So, food manufacturers
continue to make their own
decisions on what is natural.

14. Not So Easy
• As we investigate ingredients, we
sometimes find that we have to go to
our vendor’s vendor to determine if
there are any ingredients added that
we don’t allow.
• This places vendors in an
uncomfortable position of either
disclosing proprietary information or
possibly losing business.

15. Wildtree’s Natural

16. • Natural means many things to many
people.
• Our products are GMO-free and are
processed and managed according
to Good Manufacturing Practices.

17. • At Wildtree, NATURAL means
• No artificial colors
• No artificial flavors
• No preservatives
• No high-fructose corn syrup
• No MSG
• No hydrogenated oils
• No irradiation
• No hydrolyzed protein (vegetable or
dairy)

18. Our Do Not Use List
• We do not allow ingredients in our
manufacturing facility that are
included in the following listing.

19. Do Not Use List
• acesulfame-K (acesulfame potassium) • DATEM (Diacetyl tartaric and fatty acid
• acetylated esters of mono- and diglycerides esters of mono and diglycerides)
• ammonium chloride • dimethylpolysiloxane
• artificial colors • dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS)
• artificial flavors • disodium calcium EDTA
• aspartame • disodium dihydrogen EDTA
• azodicarbonamide • disodium guanylate
• benzoates in food • disodium inosinate
• benzoyl peroxide • EDTA
• BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) • ethyl vanillin
• BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) • FD & C colors
• bromated flour • GMO Foods
• brominated vegetable oil (BVO) • GMP (disodium guanylate)
• calcium bromate • hexa-, hepta- and octa-esters of sucrose
• calcium disodium EDTA • HFCS High Fructose Corn Syrup
• calcium peroxide • hydrogenated fats
• calcium propionate • IMP (disodium inosinate)
• calcium saccharin • irradiated foods
• calcium sorbate • lactylated esters of mono- and diglycerides
• calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate • methyl silicon
• caprocaprylobehenin. • methylparaben
• certified colors • microparticularized whey protein derived fat
• cyclamates substitute
• cysteine (l-cysteine), as an additive for • monosodium glutamate (MSG)
bread products • natamyacin

20. Do Not Use List, Con’t
• nitrates/nitrites • solvent extracted oils, as standalone single-
• partially hydrogenated oil ingredient oils
• peanuts • sorbic acid
• polydextrose • sucralose
• potassium benzoate • sucroglycerides
• potassium bisulfite • sucrose polyester
• potassium bromate • sulfites (sulfur dioxide)
• potassium metabisulfite • Tree Nuts
• potassium sorbate • TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone)
• propionates • tetrasodium EDTA
• propyl gallate • vanillin
• propylparaben
• saccharin
• sodium aluminum phosphate
• sodium aluminum sulfate
• sodium benzoate
• sodium bisulfite
• sodium diacetate
• sodium glutamate
• sodium nitrate/nitrite
• sodium propionate
• sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
• sodium sulfite