What Does “Made With Natural Flavors” Really Mean? : This phrase appears on many cereal boxes, soda cans and candy wrappers but what exactly does this entail?
Natural flavorings may contain any number of ingredients; as their presence does not have to be listed on labels, it can be hard for customers to make an informed choice.
Ingredients
Flavor oils, resins and extracts made from natural sources are used to produce natural flavors. According to US Food and Drug Administration regulations, ingredients or extractives used must come from foods such as fruit juices, vegetable juices, edible yeast products, herbs, bark bud roots stems or similar plant material or meat sources in order to be labeled as being 100% natural.
However, even natural flavors may contain processing aids like propylene glycol and cancer-causing substances like BHA from benzyl butyrate carcinogen. These ingredients typically make up 80-90% of natural flavors.
Although natural flavors are generally safe to consume, those with severe allergies or specific dietary preferences should be aware of possible side effects. Luckily, there are options such as natural WONF flavors which allow brands to meet both consumer expectations and regulatory guidelines simultaneously; additionally these flavors can often be more cost effective than using named natural fruit flavors for certain applications, such as baked goods.
Sources
Wright and other flavorists rely on natural ingredients, such as spices, herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers, as the raw materials for creating their flavors. Furthermore, they may use chemical additives such as solvents and emulsifiers to alter or enhance them further in their endeavor.
The FDA has specific regulations in place regarding natural flavors derived from plant or animal material. Food manufacturers do not need to identify their natural flavoring source on food labels unless that ingredient contains one of the top 8 (soon to be 9) allergens – milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish shellfish or wheat.
“Natural” and “artificial” may sound like distinct categories, but for people with severe allergies or sensitivities it often doesn’t make a significant difference. Natural flavors sourced from plants may not be more “natural” than their artificial counterparts due to processing necessary for extraction of chemicals from them.
Concentration
Natural flavor concentrates offer the flexibility of varying concentrations while still retaining high levels of taste integrity. Flavors used in natural juices are made by extracting volatile components or using thin film evaporation techniques; once produced, these liquids can then be blended with fruit juices or flavor compounds to achieve your desired profile.
Blending natural juices from different plant species or regions may give some flexibility in taste, but can be logistically complex to implement. Utilizing flavor concentrates eliminates this challenge and allows a wide variety of signature tastes to be achieved.
Natural flavors often include anywhere from 50 to 100 ingredients in addition to their original natural source, including solvents, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers and preservatives. While the term “natural” offers foods a positive image and assurances that they’re healthier options.
Applications
Natural flavors are used to create an array of unique taste profiles in food and beverages, providing consumers with an authentic sensory experience and encouraging healthy choices.
Food scientists must carefully consider their product’s application when choosing natural flavorings. Achieing maximum performance requires selecting an element which can withstand processing, storage and shelf stability without impacting nutritional integrity of their final product.
IFF’s team of flavorists works closely with food and beverage customers to understand their desired product and intended use, and then identify its molecular fingerprint. Next they identify compounds that mimic that fingerprint in a laboratory setting – known as reverse engineering. Sometimes natural flavors include both natural and non-natural components; such blends are known as natural WONF flavors while those solely composed of naturally derived components are considered single source or natural FTNF flavors.
