What Do “Natural Flavors” Really Mean? 

When reading a food label, “natural flavors” is a common term distinguishing a packaged or processed food from one with artificial flavorings. But what exactly does natural flavoring mean?  

The distinction comes down to FDA definitions and processes that may not always meet the perceived notions of the public. To better understand this, let’s refer to the following FDA definition:^{1, 2} 

Natural flavor or natural flavoring means 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 whole food sources and contain individual chemical compounds that contribute to the overall taste and aroma of a food or beverage. These flavors are not designed to provide measurable levels of nutrients. 

Why Are There Natural and Artificial Flavors? 

Let’s use vanilla as an example of why natural and artificial flavors are in our food system. Vanilla is an orchid plant grown within 10-20 degrees of the equator. Vanillin and 250 other naturally derived compounds from the seeds in the vanilla pod give us what we know as vanilla extract.  

Conversely, most artificial vanilla flavor is made in a laboratory from a compound called eugenol, chemically extracted from paper-making pulp (studies have begun to genetically engineer microbes to produce vanillin).³ Most flavor experts agree that natural and artificial vanilla have very similar flavor and aroma profiles that are difficult to distinguish in the finished extract.  

RELATED: Are Natural Sweeteners Paleo? 

Of note, you may have read about artificial vanilla flavoring with a chemical called castoreum, extracted from beaver castor sacs. Because these sacs are located next to the anal glands, castoreum has attracted negative social media attention along with disgust. However, because of its expense, castoreum is now rarely used as a food additive.  

Knowing this, you might be more likely to choose brands that use natural vanilla. However, vanilla orchids are also a rarity because they only grow in limited areas and are expensive to process. Commercial food manufacturers may choose to use less costly ingredients with a more consistent flavor profile that isn’t dependent on seasonality, changing harvests, and location.  

How Are Natural Flavors Processed and Labeled?   

Referring to the FDA natural flavor definition above, few would argue that the list could be perceived as anything but natural. Look closer; what is missing from the definition? The FDA does not define how these concentrated flavors are processed. Many natural flavors are highly distilled to isolate the desired flavors in the right concentration, and their names sound far from natural. For instance, amyl acetate is a natural banana flavor, and benzaldehyde is a natural almond flavoring.  

Regulations allow natural flavors to have incidental additives or processing aids in “insignificant levels” that “do not have any technical or functional effect in that food.”  

Incidental additives might be charcoal to filter out impurities, citric acid for cleaning, or supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent.^{1, 2} These additives are not necessarily derived from natural sources but undergo an FDA review that identifies them as generally recognized as safe (GRAS). However, they do not have to be listed on the ingredients panel.  

Critics of incidental additives say using these processing aids leaves a significant gap in consumer confidence. If you prefer that your food not be exposed to these types of incidental additives, choose organically certified products. However, processors may use synthetic processing additives for “foods made with organic ingredients.”  

If this isn’t enough to think about, since there is no official FDA definition of natural, labeling food with natural flavors is not always what you might think:^{1, 2} 

1. When a food uses solely one natural flavor, such as strawberry, it must be labeled “strawberry natural flavor.”  
2. Foods with multiple natural flavors are not required to list each flavor and will read “natural flavors” unless the natural flavoring is made from a common allergen.  
3. If a natural flavor has been extracted from a genetically modified food, it can be labeled as natural.  
4. The food must be labeled artificially flavored if a natural flavoring adds a new taste and does not reinforce an existing flavor.  

Moving Beyond Natural Flavors 

As you can see, this is complex. At The Paleo Diet, our goal is not to add confusion but to untangle the knots that our food system is known for so you can make better choices. Disclosure and transparency on food labels are essential for consumers to make informed decisions. Above all, it’s best to buy whole ingredients and use spices to flavor your food so you can rely less on packaged and processed foods that may contain vaguely labeled added flavors.  

References 

1. US Food and Drug Administration. CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Volume 6. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=501.22
2. US Food and Drug Administration. CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Volume 2. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=101.100
3. Santos LDF, Lautru S, Pernodet JL. Genetic Engineering Approaches for the Microbial Production of Vanillin. Biomolecules. 2024;14(11):1413. Published 2024 Nov 6. doi:10.3390/biom14111413