Unveiling the Mystery of Natural Flavors

“What are ‘natural flavors’? No one really knows. But we do know that scientists have gotten pretty good at simulating the taste of just about everything. By using a combination of chemicals, you can replicate any flavor you like.  And you can add it into to carbonated water. But it still doesn’t taste like real fruit.” – Spindrift Website ©2019 

According to the FDA the term natural flavor or natural flavoring is defined 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. Natural flavors include the natural essence or extractives obtained from plants listed in 182.10, 182.20, 182.40, and 182.50 and part 184 of this chapter, and the substances listed in 172.510 of this chapter.[1]

 In short, this means that for something to be defined as a natural flavor it is extracted directly from the plant, spice, fruit, animal, etc that it is named after.  For example, natural strawberry flavor must consist of an extract or essence of the actual strawberry.  When someone makes the claim that no one really knows what a natural flavor is, that is simply not true.

 “Since everyone started putting ‘natural’ on their labels, we’ve lost sight of what that word even means. And the mysterious term: ‘flavors made by flavor companies who won’t reveal what they use to get the tastes they want.” - Spindrift Website ©2019

 While the FDA has been reluctant to register a definition in Title 21 of the Federal Code Of Regulations they have considered the term "natural" to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.[2]  This guidance is the direct response of a public questionnaire where they accepted responses from thousands of consumers between 2015 and 2016.  In a nutshell, consumers have defined what the term “natural” means to them.

Would you eat a Banana?

 How about a Blueberry or a Passionfruit? 

Even though companies, such as Spindrift, claim “we know what fruit is. We knew that, if we worked at it long enough, we’d figure out how we could skip using any ‘flavors’ and just use real squeezed fruit” they seem to lack the knowledge that everything in our world is made up of chemicals.  Those wonderful flavors and aromas we receive from our favorite fruits, plants, and spices are made up of a complex formula designed by nature.  When a flavor chemist creates a natural flavor, all they do is take the individual components of the natural food and use the best parts to create incredible experiences for the consumer.

[1] FDA Title 21. Section 101.22 Subpart 3

[2] FDA.gov. The FDA Requests Comments on Use of the Term "Natural" on Food Labeling. 10/22/2018