According to the FDA
a natural flavor is classified as:
“...The essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
In other words, natural flavors are derived from a natural plant or animal source. Whereas, “artificial flavors” are derived from petroleum products.
“Derived from” means the flavor was obtained from a natural source, but it does not always mean it’s non-toxic.
Are Natural Flavors Non-Toxic?
They can be, but not always.
The FDA doesn’t require food labels to disclose what’s in their “natural flavors,” unless the ingredients include a common allergen.
When you see “flavor” listed as an ingredient, it is actually a recipe that may be compromised of upwards of 100 ingredients. For example, “natural apple flavor” may have been preserved and stabilized with chemical agents added to help it mix into the product such as propylene glycol, BHT, BHA, and polysorbate 80.
But this isn’t always the case.
Sometimes “Natural Flavors” Are Non-Toxic
There are many companies that are consciously making an effort to create products that avoid all additives like flavors, fragrances, and preservatives - but you may still find a few products with “natural flavors” (or “natural scent, fragrance”).
In these cases, this term does not automatically mean the ingredients are ridden with hidden toxins. This term may be used in order to protect their proprietary recipe as a trade secret, so that other companies cannot copy them - not necessarily to try and hide toxic ingredients from customers.
So how can you know for sure?
How to Tell if “Natural Flavors” Are Non-Toxic
Reach out to the company.
They may not be able to disclose exactly what’s in the “flavor” or “scent,” especially if they are under an NDA agreement (but sometimes they do). However, given the detail and transparency of their response you can then use your own intuition to make an informed decision.
Many of the companies will even have sections on their website breaking down why they use “natural flavors,” and giving reassurance of the clean ingredients used.
A great example is Plant Therapy’s extremely detailed page on their natural scents and flavors:
Comments