Are they actually natural, and are they safe to eat?
We found the answers.
Natural flavors are a pretty common ingredient on food labels.
Photo:Getty Images
So, what exactly does it mean?
Needless to say, which products are or arent considered natural?
Is there a difference between natural and artificial flavors?
And are they even healthy to eat?
We turned to health and food industry experts to answer all of your questions.
What Are Natural Flavors?
This does not include spices or seasonings, however.
Instead, these natural flavors are extracted through different methods such as distillation, fermentation or solvent extraction.
Why Do We Find Natural Flavors in Our Food?
Manufacturers use natural flavors to enhance the consumer sensory experience, Blommaert says.
Whats the Difference Between Artificial and Natural Flavors?
What are artificial flavors?
While using a natural source seems like the best solution, it may result in a costlier outcome.
However, Blommaert points out consumers desires for labels with clean ingredients, including natural flavors over synthetic ones.
Many manufacturers have shifted to using natural flavors instead of artificial flavors in finished products.
In fact, some grocery stores,like Trader Joes, have banned the use of artificial flavors entirely.
When Are They Required on Ingredient Lists?
Instead, they can use the generic term natural flavor to maintain the proprietary nature of their recipes.
For example, if your product uses only natural strawberry flavoring, it will be labeled with strawberry flavor.
If its a combination of flavors, it then falls under that blanket natural flavors label.
Are They Healthy?
In terms of nutrition, natural flavors are not something a consumer has to worry about.
Natural flavors do not provide calories or nutrients to the food they are added to, Twigge explains.
Natural flavors are simply present to enhance the flavors and increase palatability of certain foods.
Remember that these flavors will be found most often in highly processed foods, she continues.
They help enhance a product’s flavor and sensory experience, but they do not contain calories or nutrients.
Natural flavors do not contain anything synthetically made, which is defined as artificial flavor.
The FDA regulates these flavors, and they are generally safe to eat.
you’re able to also ping the manufacturer if you have any questions about a product.
Otherwise, natural flavors are safe to eat.
As a dietitian, I do think the answer to this question lies with the individual.
No, this is where the difference between natural and artificial flavors comes into focus.
Although natural flavors are chemical compounds, they are derived from natural sources such as plants and animals.
Artificial flavors are synthesized in a lab.
However, they should disclose if any of those compounds are derived from any of the top eight allergens.
Besides anecdotal experience from consumers, there are no researched side effects of consuming natural flavors at this time.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Code of Federal Regulations (Title 21).Specific Food Labeling Requirements.
Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Natural and artificial flavors.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Code of Federal Regulations (Title 21).Synthetic flavoring substances and adjuvants.
