Natural flavoring trends are on the rise and have significant environmental benefits; however, the process of extracting natural ingredients has its drawbacks.
According to FDA regulations, “natural flavors” refers to any flavor derived from plant or animal sources as well as synthetic chemicals.
What is Artificial Flavoring?
Artificial flavors are chemical compounds created in laboratories to mimic the flavor of natural ingredients such as fruit or spices, such as in candy bars, yogurt, or baked goods. Artificial flavors come in all shapes and sizes from candy bars, yogurt, baked goods or even snack bars!
Food manufacturers use them because of their numerous benefits:
Consistency: Natural ingredients may vary slightly in taste between batches depending on factors like climate and sourcing; artificial flavorings have been specially created to maintain consistent tastes throughout all batches.
Safety: Both the FDA and EFSA conduct extensive safety evaluations before authorizing new food additives or artificial flavors to be sold or used commercially. Artificial flavors also undergo similar assessments before approval for consumption.
Sustainability: Natural flavors can be costly to source. By switching to artificial flavorings instead, food manufacturers can produce products with similar tastes at reduced costs – helping lower consumer prices while expanding product offerings for them as well as decreasing environmental impacts caused by growing, harvesting and transporting natural ingredients.
What is the Difference Between Natural Flavoring and Artificial Flavoring?
If you look at the ingredient list for your favorite snack – such as cereal or granola bars – it may mention either natural flavorings or artificial ones, what’s the difference?
Natural and artificial flavors differ primarily in terms of their source. Natural flavors typically originate in food or plants sources such as bark from Malaysian massoya trees. By comparison, artificial flavors typically derive their chemicals from synthetic sources.
artificial flavors consist of various chemical compounds combined together and may not even bear their original product’s name; rather, these ingredients are simply known as “flavoring agents” or “flavor enhancers.” In comparison to artificial flavors, natural ones require much more effort for manufacturers to locate all necessary ingredients.
What is the Best Way to Avoid Artificial Flavorings?
Avoiding artificial flavors is best achieved by eating less processed food and cooking from scratch. When purchasing packaged goods, always check their ingredient lists carefully as companies aren’t required to disclose what chemicals they use as flavoring agents – some have even been linked with cancer in animals!
Even “natural” flavors can pose issues. Vanilla extract may contain chemicals derived from wood pulp or the herb fenugreek; balsam of Peru and natural maple flavoring have both been reported to exacerbate children’s eczema symptoms;
Avoid beverages containing added sugars as these can contribute to overeating and unhealthy weight gain. Water, low-sugar milks or non-dairy alternatives should be opted for instead, while snacks should include whole fruits and vegetables instead of chips, cookies and other highly processed options. Avoiding artificial flavorings is key in improving health; however, eating a variety of whole foods will provide the greatest health benefits for you body.
What is the Best Way to Know if a Product is Artificially Flavored?
Reading ingredient lists is key in understanding food, particularly terms such as natural and artificial flavorings. When selecting food for yourself and your family, try opting for whole food with shorter ingredient lists that are easier to identify; Simple Mills products offer such examples, providing purposeful ingredients which are instantly recognisable.
Natural flavors are defined by the FDA as substances obtained through extraction, distillation or otherwise from spices, fruits or their juice, vegetables or their juice, edible yeast products, herbs bark bud root leaf flowers animals dairy products etc. Thus they have no nutritional value and are used exclusively to add flavor.
Artificial flavors are composed of chemical mixtures that have not undergone rigorous safety evaluation, unlike their natural counterparts. Furthermore, some chemicals found in artificial flavors have been known to cause adverse reactions in some individuals; one study discovered that balsam of Peru, an ingredient often used in natural vanilla products, had the opposite effect in children suffering eczema symptoms.
