|

What Are Natural Flavors?

What consumer doesn’t want natural ingredients in their food? Chances are, you won’t need to rummage through your kitchen or pantry for very long to find a product that contains “natural flavors.”  Or maybe you’ve seen “organic natural flavors”… one of my favorite marketing hacks.

The Environmental Working Group conducted research by rating 80,000 foods by different nutritional criteria. They found that “natural flavors” is the fourth most common listed ingredient, along with salt, water, and sugar.  

The labels ‘natural’ or ‘artificial’ don’t tell us much, because the term ‘flavor’ on any food product is misleading. In fact, the FDA does not require food companies to tell you what is in these flavors. These foods can still contain loads of sugar, preservatives, and even chemicals that may be harmful to our health. 

Let’s take a look at the facts about natural flavors.  

NATURAL DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN SIMPLE…  

The FDA defines natural flavors as ingredients like oils, juices, and other substances extracted from plant and animal sources. This label pertains solely to the flavoring of a product, and not ingredients of nutritional value.  It’s easy for food manufacturers to find a loophole because this definition does not address preservatives or solvents.

While these additives may originally be derived from natural sources they can manipulate to the point where they are no longer recognizable as part of their original source. And Ingredient such as Benzaldehyde is derived from almonds and often hidden under the “natural flavors” label, but according to the New Jersey Department of Health “can irritate the nose and throat causing coughing and shortness of breath; contact can irritate the skin and eyes, and repeated exposure can cause a skin rash to develop, and exposure can cause you to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Higher levels can cause seizures and passing out.”

This is just one example. There are thousands of modified “natural flavors” or ingredients that manufacturers don’t have to identify in foods and most of which have never been tested for safety in humans.

What The FDA Says About Natural Flavors

In fact, there are currently an estimated 3,000 chemical food additives on the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list maintained by the FDA. The chemicals on the list have gone through very little to zero testing for safety prior to getting on the list. There are approximately 1,000 plus chemicals that have never been tested at all.

Again… Manufacturers do not need to disclose the ingredients of a “natural flavor” if all of the ingredients, which can be up to 100 in one flavor, can be found on the GRAS list.

More so, even a nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, has concluded that the “FDA’s oversight process does not help ensure the safety of all new GRAS determinations” and that the “FDA is not systematically ensuring the continued safety of current GRAS substances.”

They have left it up to the manufacturers!

Artificial VS. Natural

Although the term, ‘artificial flavors,’ sounds less appealing than a product described as ‘natural,’ the two aren’t incredibly different. The distinction is that artificial flavors are made from synthetic ingredients in a lab. However, the chemicals and chemical structures in both kinds of flavors may be nearly identical. 

Not all-natural flavors are dangerous, but they are certainly no better than artificial flavors, which undergo greater regulations. Flavors produced in a lab are less likely to contain allergens or traces of meat which can be found in some vegetarian or vegan products. The process of extracting natural flavors is also more harmful to the environment and involves greater carbon emissions and forest clear-cutting.  

So, are artificial flavors safer or more dangerous than natural flavors? Neither. Some artificial flavors are not dangerous, and some are. More research needs to be done on nearly all natural and artificial flavors in order to understand their true impact on our health, and on the planet.

How To Avoid Natural and Artificial Flavors

If you’re eating processed foods it’s nearly impossible to avoid natural flavors. But there are some things you can do:  

1.) The fewer processed foods you consume, the fewer mystery ingredients you consume. Buy real, whole foods.

2.) Consider adding your own flavoring, like fruit, spices, or herbs. 

3.) If you do choose products with flavoring, you can contact the manufacturer to find out exactly what’s in your food. They may not tell you, but I’ve actually had pretty good luck with this.

4.) Read the ingredients on the product before you purchase. If you see natural or artificial flavors listed, consider purchasing a different brand.

Conclusion

Either way, products with minimal ingredients are most likely the healthiest option. I try to keep it to five ingredients or less when purchasing processed food.

Still have questions? Comment below or message us on Instagram.

Similar Posts