Mediaboss Marketing

New York PepsiCo Inc. has quietly gotten rid of the word natural in some of its products and instead is going with simply.

The company changed its Simply Natural line of Frito-Lay chips to be called Simply, although the ingredients remain the same. Similarly, its Natural Quaker Granola got a makeover as Simply Quaker Granola.

The food and beverage giant says the name changes, which took place last year, are the result of updating its marketing. But they come at a time when PepsiCo and other companies face legal challenges over their use of the word natural.

The Food and Drug Administration doesnt have a definition for what constitutes natural, but says it doesnt object to the words use as long as the product doesnt contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances. Still, a number of lawsuits recently have challenged whether the ingredients in products labeled as natural fit that billing.

In some cases, companies are realizing the use of natural isnt worth the headache, said Steve Gardner, director of litigation for the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that has filed lawsuits against companies on the topic.

Last year, PepsiCo agreed to remove the words all natural from its Naked juices after a lawsuit noted the drinks contained artificial ingredients, such as a fiber made by Archer Midland Daniels. In November, PepsiCo killed off its Gatorade Natural line, saying the drinks didnt resonate with its core consumers.

We constantly update our marketing and packaging, said Candace Mueller-Medina, a spokeswoman for PepsiCos Quaker brand.

PepsiCo isnt alone in retreating from natural. The owners of Ben & Jerrys and Breyers ice cream agreed to change packaging in 2012 to settle lawsuits over its use of all natural. Campbell Soup was sued in 2012 for describing its Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers as natural, with the suit noting they contain genetically modified ingredients.

The word simply isnt entirely free of controversy either. Although it didnt file a lawsuit, the Center for Science in the Public Interest met with General Mills in 2010 over labeling on a variety of the companys products. Among those singled out was Simply Fruit, which the group noted contained canola oil and carrot juice not just fruit.

When asked if it had a response to the centers complaint that the name was misleading, General Mills spokesman Mike Siemienas said in an email, Yes, we do have a response: It isnt.

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PepsiCo rebrands 'natural' products with 'Simply'