So What’s The Difference Between Organic And Natural?

A daily digest of wellness industry news from around the world.

// Tuesday, 29th September 2015

Do consumers know the difference between organic and ‘natural’?…

The organic label has come to be expected from a certain class of products – but now it seems even sugar-filled cookie brands and hotdog varieties are leveraging the perceived value of certification and growing consumer appeal. Restaurants and cafes serving organic products are also becoming more popular, however, US-based research firm Mintel Group, have reported that organic sales have actually levelled off.

It puts the plateau down to two key points, the first being that consumers are becoming more hard pressed to justify the price differential when choosing between organic and non-organic. Mintel also highlights that consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to understand the difference between the benefits of organic versus products labelled as ‘natural’.

Drawing reference specifically to the US market, the study notes that “organic brands will need to address consumers in a more open and transparent way to maintain credibility”. Presumably, this is something that organic brands globally will need to be more mindful of, as more brands push ‘natural’ as a health benefit.

>> Read more: Is the Upswing in Organic Levelling Off? (Food Processing)

Is Lululemon destined to fall from such great heights?

The same way Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors sales crashed after widespread popularity, Lululemon might be on the same trajectory, according to Business Insider.

With consumers, including a host of celebrities, paying a premium for the aspirational brand’s yoga inspired outfits, sales certainly don’t look to be slowing. However, some experts claim that with an emergence of rival brands and the idea that once consumers have tried a premium product like it, it has the potential to lose its cool factor.

Competition especially, may be reason for the brand to reconsider its price strategy, with consumers now eager to be first to be seen in new indie yogawear brands that are popping up across the globe at an unstoppable pace.

>> Read more: Lululemon is insanely popular — and that’s terrible news for the brand (Business Insider)

There’s a test for that: Orthorexia, the new-age eating disorder…

It made news in recent months as US blogger Jordan Younger announcing that she was no longer subscribing to her self-imposed regiment of veganism after building an enormous online following as ‘The Blonde Vegan’. The term Orthorexia had been largely unheard of before Younger claimed that the condition, which is defined as an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy, had seen her develop extreme fear of food.

Dr Steven Bratman is said to have coined the term in 1996 after her own personal experience, and according to the Independent, Bratman’s test to determine whether an individual has Orthorexia includes asking questions like “Do you spend more than 3 hours a day thinking about your diet?” and “Has the quality of your life decreased as the quality of your diet has increased?”.

Although not a robust or universally-accepted test, Bratman’s is said to be a good starting point for individuals experiencing the symptoms of anxiety linked to following dietary guidelines obsessively. It is also said that further research into the condition, and whether it should be clinically recognised, is underway.