Ingredients/Natural and Artificial Flavors

Natural and Artificial Flavors

General Processing Concern

Vague ingredient category that may contain multiple compounds

What is it?

"Natural" and "artificial" flavors are complex proprietary mixtures used to impart taste and aroma. Natural flavors are derived from biological sources, while artificial flavors are synthetically produced. Often, each “flavor” can be a blend of dozens of chemical components.

Health Concerns

Key health issues to be aware of

Lack of Transparency and Industry-Controlled Safety Evaluation

Flavor ingredients, including both 'natural' and 'artificial', frequently bypass external safety review and may conceal their chemical identities due to proprietary practices and self-regulated GRAS determinations by industry.

Scientific Evidence

Meet the Secret Group That Decides Which Flavors Are ‘Natural’
Paper
Time (2015)

FEMA, an industry trade group, largely controls flavor safety evaluations; its process lacks public scientific transparency.

Since the flavor industry widely exploits the GRAS loophole, only the companies selling these ingredients can attest to their safety
Paper
CSPI (2024)

Reports that companies can declare flavor chemicals GRAS without FDA knowledge, leading to potential undisclosed and unassessed substances.

Potential Hidden Allergens and Undisclosed Components

Flavor blends may include allergenic ingredients (e.g., dairy, soy, nuts) or incidental additives, such as solvents or preservatives, that are not disclosed on labels.

Scientific Evidence

Hidden allergens in foods
Paper
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (1996)

Natural flavors may contain unlabeled allergenic sources like milk casein or soy protein, posing risk to sensitized individuals.

Dietary restrictions and the challenge of hidden flavor sources
Paper
Wikipedia / Flavoring (overview) (2025)

Generic 'natural flavor' labels offer no insight into animal or allergen-derived origins, making them problematic for those with dietary restrictions or allergies.

Full References

Complete academic citations

  1. 1. Time magazine (2015). Meet the Secret Group That Decides Which Flavors Are ‘Natural’. Time.
  2. 2. Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) (2024). CSPI: Flavor substances listed as 'natural flavor' or 'artificial flavor' allow industry to hide untested and unsafe chemicals. CSPI report.
  3. 3. Steinman, H.A. (1996). Hidden allergens in foods. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
  4. 4. Wikipedia contributors (2025). Flavoring (dietary risks section). Wikipedia.
Regulatory Status

Natural and artificial flavors are regulated under FDA’s GRAS system. While many components must have GRAS status, the system allows company-driven safety evaluations without full FDA oversight, and formulations often remain undisclosed.

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