Understanding Artificial Flavors
Artificial flavors are synthetic chemical mixtures created in a laboratory to mimic the taste and aroma of natural ingredients. Unlike natural flavors, which must be derived from a natural source like a fruit or spice, artificial flavors are not sourced from food, though they are often chemically identical to natural compounds. Manufacturers favor artificial versions for their lower cost, greater consistency, and extended shelf life. However, this distinction is often lost on consumers, as manufacturers are not required to disclose the specific chemicals used, simply listing them as "artificial flavor" on an ingredient list.
Common Categories of Foods with Artificial Flavors
Artificial flavors are pervasive throughout the modern food supply, often hidden in plain sight in many of our favorite packaged and processed items. Learning to identify these categories can help you reduce your intake of these synthetic compounds.
Soft Drinks and Other Beverages
Virtually all non-diet and diet soft drinks contain artificial flavors. Companies like Givaudan and IFF, major flavor houses, create a vast array of synthetic flavors used in everything from cherry cola to lemon-lime soda. Powdered drink mixes, energy drinks, and flavored water products also rely heavily on artificial flavors to deliver a consistent, appealing taste.
Candy and Sweets
From hard candies and gummies to chewing gum, artificial flavors are fundamental to the confectionery industry. The intense, consistent fruit and other dessert flavors found in these products are almost always synthetically produced. For example, isoamyl acetate is the chemical that creates the intense banana flavor in many candies, though it is created in a lab rather than derived from actual bananas.
Baked Goods
Many mass-produced baked goods, such as cakes, cookies, and packaged pastries, use artificial flavors to achieve a uniform and long-lasting taste. Artificial vanilla (vanillin) is a prime example, offering a cheaper alternative to natural vanilla extract. Other common artificial flavorings in this category include those for chocolate, maple, and fruit fillings.
Snack Foods
Chips, crackers, and other savory snacks frequently contain artificial flavors to enhance or create specific profiles, such as "smoky" bacon or "cheesy" puff flavors. The flavor packets for meal starters, like cheesy pasta or flavored rice mixes, are another common source.
Dairy Products
Flavored yogurts, ice creams, and other dairy items often rely on artificial flavorings. For instance, a strawberry yogurt may contain little to no real fruit, with its taste coming from a blend of synthetic chemicals. Creamers and frozen desserts are also frequent culprits.
Sauces and Dressings
Many popular sauces, including salad dressings, BBQ sauce, and ketchup, contain artificial flavors to ensure consistent taste and reduce ingredient costs. Even items like hot sauce or sweet relish may contain flavor enhancers or artificial colors that work in conjunction with artificial flavors.
Reading Labels to Spot Artificial Flavors
Identifying artificial flavors requires more than just a quick glance at the label. You must understand how manufacturers hide or phrase these ingredients.
- The Catch-all Term: The most obvious sign is the term "Artificial Flavor" or "Artificial Flavors" in the ingredients list. By law, manufacturers do not need to specify what synthetic chemicals are included.
- Combined Flavors: If a product lists "Natural and Artificial Flavors," it contains a mix of both, which means it is not free of synthetic ingredients.
- Specific Flavor Designations: Be cautious of phrases that use a specific flavor name followed by words like "flavored" or "imitation." For example, "artificially maple-flavored" syrup will contain synthetic compounds mimicking maple taste, not real maple syrup.
- Associated Ingredients: Artificial flavors are frequently used alongside other synthetic additives. If you see artificial sweeteners (like aspartame or sucralose), food dyes (FD&C Blue No. 1, Yellow No. 5), or flavor enhancers (MSG), it's highly likely that artificial flavors are also present.
The Difference Between Artificial and Natural Flavors
| Aspect | Artificial Flavors | Natural Flavors |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Synthetically created chemicals, often from petroleum or other non-natural sources. | Derived from natural sources like spices, fruits, vegetables, or animal products. |
| Cost | Typically much less expensive to produce, leading to lower manufacturing costs. | Generally more expensive due to the process of extracting flavors from real, often-scarce, food sources. |
| Consistency | Highly consistent in flavor profile from batch to batch, unaffected by seasonal or environmental changes. | Can have slight variations in taste and aroma based on natural sourcing, like a real fruit's ripeness. |
| Chemical Composition | Can be identical to a specific flavor chemical found in nature, but lack the other hundreds of compounds that create the full taste profile. | Composed of a complex mixture of hundreds of chemical compounds extracted from the source. |
| Labeling | Labeled simply as "Artificial Flavor" without listing individual chemical components. | Labeled as "Natural Flavor" without listing specific components, which can also be a point of consumer confusion. |
The Drive for Artificial Flavoring
Food manufacturers rely on artificial flavoring for a variety of reasons, most of which are economically motivated. Using synthetic alternatives allows companies to achieve specific, reproducible flavor profiles at a fraction of the cost. This is especially true for fruit-flavored products, where sourcing and processing enough real fruit can be cost-prohibitive and logistically complex.
Processing also significantly impacts flavor. Many industrial food production methods, including pasteurization, freezing, and drying, can strip away a food's natural taste. By adding artificial flavors, companies can re-introduce a taste profile that is often more intense and consistent than the original, making the food more appealing to consumers.
Additionally, artificial flavors allow for longer shelf life. Natural flavors, which are derived from real food, can be less stable over time. The synthetic stability of artificial flavors means products can sit on shelves for longer without a degradation in taste.
Conclusion
Artificial flavors are a staple of the processed food industry, used to create low-cost, consistent, and long-lasting flavor profiles in a wide range of products, from beverages and snacks to baked goods and dairy. While chemically similar to their natural counterparts, they lack the complexity and are used in foods that are often less nutritionally dense. Understanding how to read labels for terms like "artificial flavor," "artificially flavored," and recognizing the product categories where they are most common empowers consumers to make more mindful choices about what they eat. Checking for artificial sweeteners and colorings can provide additional clues. The ubiquity of these synthetic additives makes label-reading an essential skill for anyone looking to reduce their intake of processed ingredients.
Center for Science in the Public Interest: What's in 'flavor'?
What are artificial flavors made of?
Artificial flavors are chemical compounds, often derived from petroleum or wood pulp, that mimic the taste of natural ingredients. For instance, vanillin, the main component of vanilla flavor, can be produced artificially from wood lignin, a byproduct of paper pulping.
Do all soft drinks contain artificial flavors?
Most soft drinks, both regular and diet, contain artificial flavors to achieve and maintain their specific taste profiles. The syrups used are typically a mix of sugar or artificial sweeteners, phosphoric or citric acid, colorant, and flavorings.
Is there a difference in taste between artificial and natural flavors?
Yes, there can be a noticeable difference. Natural flavors are composed of a complex mix of many chemical compounds, while artificial flavors often use just a few key compounds to replicate a taste. This can result in a more intense but less nuanced flavor profile.
Can artificial flavors cause allergies?
Yes, some people can have allergic reactions or sensitivities to certain ingredients within artificial flavor compounds, similar to how they might react to other additives or allergens. However, since manufacturers aren't required to list the specific chemicals, identifying the trigger can be difficult.
What should I look for on a label to find artificial flavors?
Look for the phrases "Artificial Flavor" or "Artificially Flavored" in the ingredients list. Also, be wary of products that list "Natural and Artificial Flavors," as they still contain synthetic compounds. The presence of artificial colors or sweeteners can also be a red flag.
Are artificial flavors vegan?
Not always. While many artificial flavors are chemically synthesized in a lab, they can sometimes be derived from animal sources. Additionally, the incidental additives (like solvents or emulsifiers) that make up a flavor compound can sometimes come from non-vegan sources.
Are artificial flavors safe to eat?
Regulatory bodies like the FDA in the U.S. approve artificial flavors as safe for consumption in the amounts typically used in food. However, some groups, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, have raised concerns about the testing process and potential health effects.
