Truth About Natural Flavors in Food

Last week, I discussed Instant Hot Cocoa Mixes and gave my recipe for an "almost instant" cup of hot cocoa.

I learned so much about the ingredients in those  mixes that I wanted to go into more detail about Natural Flavors.

Yes, I'm sure you've seen that listed on many food products. You probably have the same reaction I do when I see that on a label: "Oh, so it should be okay."

Wrong. So wrong. {Hitting my head against the wall.} I should know better when it comes to the food industry, but I never really questioned it.

WHAT ARE NATURAL FLAVORS

As I wrote in last week's post, "natural flavors" in food are derived from plant or animal sources, but the process of extracting and manipulating those flavor compounds to create a specific desired taste usually happens in a laboratory. So let's dive in a little deeper.

The Food and Drug Administration aka FDA defines Natural Flavors this way:

"a substance extracted, distilled, or similarly derived from natural sources like plants (fruits, herbs, veggies, barks, roots, etc.) or animals (meat, dairy products, eggs, etc.) via a method of heating, with its primary function in food being flavoring not nutritional.”

Well, my first question is this: What does etc. cover? Molds are natural as are a few other things I won't mention that I wouldn't knowingly consume.

Did you know that those Natural Flavors are mixtures that can contain more than 100 chemicals? These chemicals can be solvents, preservatives, emulsifiers, and flavor enhancers. Some of these so-called natural flavors that are classified as generally safe may be composed of more than 90% of other substances used to enhance the flavor that's created. 

Make no mistake, these Natural Flavors are lab-created because they don't come only from the food they’re replicating. They're mixed with those other chemicals to enhance a specific taste. 

How do they differ from artificial flavors? Well artifical flavors never existed in a food product. They're made solely from chemicals that are combined to mimic a particular flavor.

Do you remember a few years ago when a big coffee chain franchise and a big fast food franchise offered a delicious pink beverage?

Some whistleblower revealed that one of the Natural Flavors in the drink came from a mold! Seriously?

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I think when Natural Flavors is listed as an ingredient in food, it should be defined as to its source, but I'll wager the food industry would figure out a way to make that confusing too.

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