What Can Be Labeled as Natural Flavors?

October 21, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the FDA, natural flavors are the fourth most common ingredient listed on food labels. While consumers often assume the term means a simple fruit or spice extract, the reality is a complex mix of chemicals derived from plant and animal sources. This article explores the official definition, common misconceptions, and the surprising truth behind what can be labeled as natural flavors.

Quick Summary

An exploration of natural flavors, covering the U.S. FDA's broad regulatory definition, the wide range of source materials, and the chemical processes used for extraction and concentration. It also contrasts natural versus artificial flavors and discusses consumer perception.

Key Points

FDA's Broad Definition: The FDA defines natural flavor as a substance from plant, animal, or microbial sources, whose primary function is to impart flavor, not nutrition.
Complex Processing: Natural flavors undergo significant lab processing, including extraction, distillation, and heating, often involving solvents and emulsifiers.
Not Always Simple: Despite the name, a "natural" flavor can be a complex mixture of up to 100 chemical components, including incidental additives.
Origin vs. Molecule: The core difference between natural and artificial flavors is the source material's origin, not necessarily the final chemical compound, which can be molecularly identical.
Labeling Ambiguity: Manufacturers are not required to disclose the specific ingredients within a "natural flavor" blend, only if it contains a major allergen.
Marketing Tool: The "natural" label is a powerful marketing tool that can create a misleading perception of healthfulness for processed foods.

The Official Definition According to the FDA

Under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the FDA's definition of natural flavor is quite broad. It includes various extracts, distillates, and products of heating or enzymatic processes derived from natural sources. These natural sources can encompass fruits, vegetables, edible yeast, herbs, and plant materials, as well as meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. The key requirement is that the ingredient's primary purpose must be flavoring, not nutritional value. While the source must be natural, this definition allows significant flexibility for manufacturers.

The Role of Processing and Extraction

Even with a natural origin, turning source material into a finished flavor involves complex extraction and processing methods like distillation, pressing, and solvent extraction. For example, natural flavors like amyl acetate (banana flavor) and vanillin (vanilla flavor) are obtained through these techniques. During processing, non-flavor substances such as carriers, preservatives, and emulsifiers, termed "incidental additives," are often added without requiring specific listing on the label. This means a natural flavor blend can contain numerous components, with the actual flavor compound being a minor part.

Natural vs. Artificial Flavors: A Surprising Distinction

The fundamental difference between natural and artificial flavors lies in their initial source material. Natural flavors originate from plant or animal sources, while artificial flavors are created synthetically from chemical or petroleum sources. However, the crucial point is that the final chemical compound for both natural and artificial versions is frequently identical at a molecular level. As an illustration, vanillin can be extracted from vanilla beans (natural) or synthesized in a lab (artificial), resulting in the same molecule. Consequently, from a chemical standpoint, the difference is often minimal.

Why Choose Natural Over Artificial?

Manufacturers often opt for natural flavors due to several factors:

Marketing Appeal: The term "natural" is a strong selling point for consumers, often justifying higher prices.
Consumer Perception: Many consumers perceive "natural" as healthier or safer, a view often encouraged by companies.
Sourcing and Cost: Obtaining natural ingredients can be expensive and labor-intensive, unlike the typically more affordable and consistent artificial versions.

The Complexity Behind Common Natural Flavors

Some natural flavors come from unexpected sources. Historically, castoreum, a secretion from beavers, was used as a natural vanilla substitute. While rare now, this shows the diverse origins possible. Another example is how flavors labeled as "natural beef flavor" might be derived from non-beef plant sources.

Comparison Table: Natural vs. Artificial Flavors


Feature	Natural Flavors	Artificial Flavors
Source	Derived from plant or animal sources (fruits, spices, meat, dairy)	Synthesized from chemical or petroleum sources
Manufacturing	Involve extraction (distillation, solvent extraction), heating, or enzymolysis	Created in a lab using chemical reactions to mimic a flavor profile
Chemical Composition	Contains the flavorful compounds plus incidental additives like solvents and preservatives	Primarily consists of the synthesized flavor compound; may have identical molecular structure to a natural counterpart
Cost	Often more expensive due to complex sourcing and processing	Typically more cost-effective to produce at scale
Transparency	Specific ingredients not required to be disclosed unless it's a common allergen	Specific ingredients not required to be disclosed as long as they are FDA-approved
Consistency	Can vary due to natural sourcing fluctuations	Designed for high consistency and stability
Consumer Perception	Perceived as healthier and more wholesome	Often viewed with suspicion or as less healthy

Global Regulations and Their Impact

Regulations for natural flavors differ globally. The EU has stricter rules than the U.S., requiring flavors to come from specific materials via traditional methods, prohibiting synthetic catalysts. In contrast, U.S. regulations are less restrictive regarding manufacturing processes and even accept flavors from GMOs. Countries like India and Japan have their own varied rules. This means a flavor labeled "natural" in one country might not meet the standards elsewhere. The EU's regulations are generally among the most stringent.

Conclusion: Navigating the Flavor Landscape

Understanding what can be labeled as natural flavors reveals a system more complex than simply using unprocessed ingredients. The term indicates a natural origin but permits extensive processing and the inclusion of other additives. While safety is overseen by bodies like the FDA and EU, the lack of detailed ingredient disclosure for flavor blends means consumers should be discerning when reading labels. Often, the "natural" label functions as a marketing tool leveraging consumer preference for perceived wholesome ingredients. Consumers prioritizing transparency and whole ingredients should look for products listing specific components like "strawberry extract" or "vanilla bean."

Center for Science in the Public Interest: What's in 'flavor'? No one knows—and that's a problem

Frequently Asked Questions

Not necessarily. The flavor can be derived from an entirely different natural source that contains the same chemical compounds. For instance, a natural raspberry flavor might be derived from cedarwood oil.

Not inherently. Both natural and artificial flavors can contain chemically identical molecules and undergo significant processing. The distinction is primarily in the source material, not the nutritional value or inherent safety.

Under FDA regulations, companies are not required to disclose the specific components of a natural flavor blend, as long as they are recognized as safe (GRAS) and do not contain major allergens. These blends are often considered proprietary formulas.

Yes, the FDA's definition of natural flavors includes substances derived from animal sources, such as meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy products. One historical example is castoreum, a substance from beavers, used rarely as a vanilla flavor.

In the EU, if a product lists "natural raspberry flavor," at least 95% of the flavor must come from raspberries. If it states "natural raspberry flavor with other natural flavors," it means less than 95% comes from the named fruit.

Natural flavors are extracted using various processes, including distillation, solvent extraction, heating, fermentation, and cold pressing, to isolate the desired aromatic compounds.

For most of the U.S. food label, the term "natural" has no formal legal definition from the FDA. However, a formal definition does exist specifically for 'natural flavors'.