What? It's not Natural?

What is with the all the "natural" products being advertised on TV? Maybe I haven't been watching enough of the boobtube and this trend has been going on for some time.

It started with a coca cola commercial for Coca Cola Natural or something along that line. After I watched the 60-second ad, I was wondering when did natrual food become a novelty? Something new and exciting ... and available for only a limited time?

I'm not a huge pop (or in American, soda) drinker, so I've never paid much attention to the adverts or the products they tout. But, it seems I'm the one sitting in the dark, as all the major soft drink manufacturers have released "natural" products - there's Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback, Fanta Natural, and the list goes on and on.

So, what makes the "natural" selections so special? Well, they use real sugar - cane and/or beet sugars. Again, the question must be asked, why is this a novelty?

And, I've realized that this is a novelty reserved for the US and likely Canada (I'll have to check out the labels when I'm next there). In the rest of the world, soft drinks are always made with natural sugar (probably because they don't have a corn industry that uses the government like a puppet in other countries). When on vacation, my soft drink of choice is Fanta. The times I've had it here I've been disappointed and a faintly ill from the faux-sugar high.

When I first tried my vacation Fanta it was served in a glass bottle, so I figured the specialness was the container. But, when last in Italy, Fanta was usually served to me in a can and it had the same crisp and refreshing taste. Curious, I peered at the ingredients and realized that was the difference. Real sugar and no additional food colourings, etc. Since it was more natural, it also had fewer calories.

And such things are referred to as innovation here that they warrant high-paying commercials!