Experts say that what customers buy in the name of herbal cosmetics is often the same synthetic cosmetic with a herb or two added, which works to lure customers. A product that says it is 100% natural may be misleading in the sense that it's difficult to stabilize fully natural base and is always quite expensive, requiring advanced technology. The desired shelf life of a product is expected to be at least two years, but that of a purely herbal product would be restricted to about six months. Also, the product won't be aesthetically appealing as a synthetic product. Hence manufacturers of herbal products have to include synthetic base ingredients to balance the formula.
2. Herbal ingredients might also cause allergies as they may contain a large number of constituents which may be allergic to that user. Thus the concept of using 'total extracts may be harmful, because there are several other ingredients going into the product. Also, things like pH need to be considered before using it.
3. According to the low experts, customers suing someone is considered extreme. Given the legal system in India and the long-drawn litigation process, consumers tend to pursue legal action against manufacturers/distributors in the event of any problem. However, with the dawn of consumer forums and more effective laws protecting the interests of the consumers, the trend is slowly moving towards this direction.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.
(a) Why is it misleading when a product is labelled as 100% natural?
(b) Mention any one drawback of natural products.
(c) What is the desired shelf life of a purely herbal product?
(d) Why do customers in India not easily sue anyone?
(e) How can the concept of using 'total extracts' be harmful?
Answers
Answer:
1 A product that says it is 100% natural may be misleading in the sense that it’s difficult to stabilize a fully natural base and is always quite expensive, requiring advanced technology. 1. Experts say that what customers buy in the name of herbal cosmetics is often the same synthetic cosmetic with a herb or two added, which works to lure customers. A product that says it is 100% natural may be misleading in the sense that it’s difficult to stabilize a fully natural base and is always quite expensive, requiring advanced technology. The desired shelf life of a product is expected to be at least two years, but that of a purely herbal product would be restricted to about six months. Also, the product won’t be aesthetically appealing as a synthetic product. Hence manufacturers of herbal products have to include synthetic base ingredients to balance the formula.
2Thus the concept of using ‘total extracts’ may be harmful, because there are several other ingredients going into the product.
2. Herbal ingredients might also cause allergies as they may contain a large number of constituents which may be allergic to that user. Thus the concept of using ‘total extracts’ may be harmful, because there are several other ingredients going into the product. Also, things like pH need to be considered before using it.