If you’ve ever read an ingredients list on a food label, chances are that you’ve seen the additive “natural flavors”. In fact, natural flavors are the fourth most common ingredient found in packaged foods across the United States. But what does this elusive term actually mean? We spoke with a food scientist and a registered dietitian to help us understand what natural flavors are, where they’re derived from, and if they impact our health in a significant way.
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- Megan Huff, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and clinical dietitian in a cardiac intensive care unit
- Abbey Thiel, PhD, a food scientist, consultant, and educator
What Are Natural Flavors?
By legal definition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) defines the term “natural flavor” as an “essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis,” derived from any of the following foods:
- Spices
- Fruit or fruit juice
- Vegetables or vegetable juice
- Edible yeast
- Herbs
- Bark, bud, root, leaf, or similar plant materials
- Meat
- Seafood
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Dairy products
- Fermented products whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional
What all these technical science terms really add up to are that natural flavors are processed food additives derived from real food. They’re primary purpose is to enhance the flavor of whatever food or beverage product they’re added to.
“However, ‘incidental additives,’ such as solvents or emulsifiers, can be used during natural flavor processing and are not required to be disclosed by the FDA,” says Megan Huff, RD. “Therefore, while the main flavors originate from natural sources, natural flavors may still contain added chemicals that aren’t food-based.” An important caveat here is that natural flavor in organic foods cannot be produced with these synthetic solvents or artificial preservatives, Huff adds.
Hundreds of natural flavors exist currently and many don’t sound so natural, like amyl acetate (a compound found in bananas), citral (extracted from citrus), and acetoin (butter flavor). And while these chemicals may not actually be problematic, the real issue is that consumers don’t get this level of detailed information, all we see is “natural flavors” on an ingredients list.
What Does “Natural” Mean?
While natural flavors have a set definition, the term “natural” is a bit more cloudy. “Natural is a term in the food industry that’s often used as a marketing gimmick because it’s not a regulated term,” says Abbey Thiel.
Thiel goes on to explain that the term only has legal meaning when it comes to flavors, meat, and poultry. Any meat or poultry marked as “natural” has no added color or artificial ingredients and has been minimally processed.
“But in the case of those pricey health foods, ‘natural’ or ‘all natural’ truly means nothing due to the fact that there’s simply no definition for the terms (outside those listed above),” Thiel adds. “What I consider natural will be different than what you consider natural, and same for the next person.”
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Thiel also explains that just because something is of natural origin doesn’t necessarily make it safe. “For example, green potatoes naturally contain cyanide, and castor beans include the poison ricin. Never assume that natural is better.”
Just one illustration of this is that many “natural” packaged products found at the grocery store are highly processed with many of their ingredients stripped of several important nutrients—like refined grain products.
Natural vs. Artificial Flavors
Even still, the term “natural” continues to bring consumers a lot of comfort, especially compared to the alternative: artificial flavors.
According to the CFR, “artificial flavor or artificial flavoring” refers to any substance aimed to impart flavor, which is not derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof.
“In short, natural flavors will be extracted from a food, whereas artificial flavors will be chemically synthesized,” says Thiel.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that artificial flavors are worse for our health than natural flavors. “Artificial flavors might, in some instances, be considered somewhat safer to consume than their natural counterpart,” Thiel explains. This is because some artificial flavors have been found to actually have fewer chemicals than natural ones, and they’re produced in highly controlled and regulated lab environments.
Are Natural Flavors Bad for You?
So, what does this mean in terms of the health impacts of natural flavors?
“Natural flavors are present in only small amounts in food, and are not intended to provide significant nutrition. Their nutritional value is minimal, if any,” says Huff.
This same notion goes for any non-natural chemicals these flavorings may contain—the amounts are so small that they shouldn’t really pose a concern when consumed in moderation. Plus, these additives are considered to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA.
However, there is still a chance that people can be sensitive to certain natural flavors, particularly if they have an allergy or intolerance to the foods with which they were made. But again, we as consumers receive no such information.
One workaround is to look at the allergy statement required on all food labels, signaling to shoppers whether one of the nine major food allergens is present in the product. However, if you’re allergic or sensitive to a food outside of those nine foods, that’s where trouble can lie.
“If you have allergies or food sensitivities, I recommend calling the food company to verify the source of the natural flavors,” Huff offers.
There is also potential for any other chemicals or ingredients found in natural flavor to cause a reaction. “However, the amount of people that will have a reaction to a natural flavor is estimated to be zero to two percent of the population,” says Thiel.
Should You Avoid Natural Flavors?
So, should you steer clear of foods with natural flavors listed on the ingredients list? Both Huff and Thiel agree that this common ingredient shouldn’t be a major concern for most consumers.
“Most natural flavors are generally recognized as safe, so the majority of people can consume them without issues,” Huff explains.
“In general, I don’t think most people need to be worried about natural flavors,” Thiel emphasizes.
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That said, you’re most likely to find natural flavors in processed and ultra-processed foods. And while some of these products may offer certain health benefits, many others are loaded with calories, sodium, added sugar, and a range of mystery ingredients. These may contribute to inflammation throughout the body and other health concerns.
Ultimately, it’s best to focus our energy on choosing mostly whole, minimally processed foods. This will help ensure that you’re not only reaping the most nutritional benefits from your choices, but also that you won’t inadvertently ingest something you’re allergic or sensitive to.
