Retail Terminology Can Confuse Consumers

Certified, natural, irradiation, plant-based, GMO, fruit-flavored additives, processed, unprocessed, free-range, 100% organic, sustainable, genetically engineered. What do all these terms mean to consumers?

Shopping the aisles and departments of a supermarket can become overwhelming for most shoppers these days. After all, there are over 30,000 items throughout the store with 1200 in the produce department alone. That's enough to confront and confuse consumers. 

The endless number of item choices on department displays and grocery shelves often overpower customers. Besides, consumers are frequently baffled over all the various words and terms connected to food. Most of those terms are quite vague to them.

People are very cautious and concerned about food products that they eat today. In fact, they pay serious attention to labels and find it toilsome trying to understand desired information before making a purchase. Again, they become confused with the wording and terminology we use in the industry.

This takes us to another concern regarding clarity with consumers. They are more meticulous about the health, nutrition, and especially safety of all the food they place on the dinner table at home. Trying to relate the meanings of words like certified organic, irradiation, GMO, natural, and others are often beyond their comprehension. And this is where we come in at this point.

What should we do as a group to prevent consumers from becoming confused and frustrated with specific terminology and phrasing we use in our trade? There should at least be some improved practices applied to educate consumers as to the basic clarification of the such marketing terms.

This disorientation should not only be left up to the retailers to accomplish. It will take all levels of the industry to participate in reaching out to the consumers. We can connect with them by posting signs in produce departments, details in weekly ad flyers, messages on product packages, websites and through social media.

Here are a few of the more basic terms that we need to educate and acquaint consumers with so they can better understand the meanings and be able to shop more comfortably:

Organic — Produce that is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, additives, or irradiation.

Certified Organic — This is a strict standard USDA registered trademark approved by the government that 100% of ingredients in the product is organic.

Irradiation — A technology used to kill bacteria that could cause food poisoning such as E. Coli in food. It can also reduce shrink by preserving food.

Natural — A substance produced by a living organism found in nature — a natural product includes any compound developed by life. Foods that are produced from natural sources without added artificial ingredients.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) — Living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through crossbreeding methods.

Processed / Unprocessed — Processed food has been cooked, roasted, canned, frozen, packaged, ingredients added such as sugar or artificial colors and preservatives. Unprocessed food has no added ingredients, is unrefined and is in their natural state like apples and oranges.

Free-Range — Pertains to animals that can roam freely outdoors rather than confined to enclosures such as cages for 24 hours each day.

Sustainable — The agricultural production of food products using farming methods that protect the environment, human health, communities and animals.

Heirloom — A vegetable or fruit grown from seeds passed down through history from multiple generations of families. They are naturally open-pollinated rather than from any outside methods.

There is a critical need by the produce industry, especially organic organizations, to further educate consumers with better clarity regarding the different terms. We need to make this a priority and take the time to explain our vocabulary in a dialog they can fully understand.

Ron Pelger is the owner of RonProCon, a produce industry advisory firm. He can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected].