Are natural flavors actually natural? Learn how these highly processed mixtures are made, how they are regulated, and how to identify them on labels.
6/15/2026 · 8 min read · Chris Carrillo · Reviewed by Armin Rad, Co-Founder & CTO, Aurascan · Last reviewed 9/8/2026
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Written by Chris Carrillo. Reviewed by Armin Rad, Co-Founder & CTO, Aurascan. It cites 7 sources; use the source list and methodology to check the evidence directly.
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View the sample resultNatural flavors are complex chemical mixtures derived from plant or animal sources used to standardize taste in packaged foods. Although legally sourced from nature, the final ingredients are highly processed and frequently contain up to 80% to 90% synthetic carriers, solvents, and artificial preservatives that remain undisclosed on food labels.
To the average shopper, the term "natural flavor" on a package conjures images of freshly squeezed fruit juice or crushed herbs. However, the regulatory reality is far more industrial. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines natural flavors as substances derived from a plant or animal source (such as spices, fruits, vegetables, herbs, bark, roots, meat, or dairy) whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. You can view the formal legal definition on the studies 21 CFR 101.22 registry page.
Despite their wholesome name, these ingredients are highly processed chemical mixtures. While the original flavor molecule must come from nature, the final ingredient added to your food is often processed in a laboratory. Research indicates that a single natural flavor mixture can contain up to 100 different chemical components, including hidden carrier solvents, emulsifiers, and artificial preservatives that do not need to be declared on the ingredient deck. In fact, natural flavors are now found in over 85% of commercial packaged foods, making them the fourth most common ingredient listed on food labels behind only salt, water, and sugar. This lack of transparency has increasingly drawn criticism from consumer advocacy organizations like the CSPI Flavor Report 2024.
Food manufacturers use natural flavors primarily to maintain consistency. When foods are processed, pasteurized, frozen, or stored on shelves for months, their natural volatile flavor compounds degrade. For example, pasteurized orange juice loses much of its organic flavor during the oxygen-removal process. To make it taste like orange juice again, manufacturers add proprietary "flavor packs" derived from orange byproducts.
Additionally, natural flavors are highly cost-effective and powerful. Typical concentrations of these mixtures range from 0.1% to 2.0% of the final product's total weight, meaning a tiny volume has a massive sensory impact. They allow companies to standardize the taste of a product across millions of units, ensuring that a chip or beverage tasted in New York tastes identical to one purchased in California. They also help mask off-notes from vitamins, plant proteins, or preservatives. Consumers looking to understand other processed food additives can read our guides on What Is Carrageenan? Uses, Safety, and Regulatory Status or find answers regarding artificial colors in What Is Red 40? Uses, Safety, and Pending studies Regulations.
Creating a natural flavor is a complex process that blurs the line between nature and chemistry. First, raw agricultural materials are sourced. Flavor chemists then use physical methods like distillation, extraction, or heating, as well as biochemical methods like enzymatic fermentation, to isolate the desired volatile aroma chemicals.
Because pure flavor extracts are often highly concentrated, unstable, or insoluble in water, they must be blended with carrier solvents and stabilizers to make them usable in food production. Carrier solvents and incidental additives can make up to 90% to 95% of the flavor formulation's total mass. Common carriers include propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, or synthetic preservatives. While the starting material is natural, the extensive physical and chemical manipulation involved makes the final product highly processed.
In the United States, natural flavors are regulated under the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) framework. This system allows the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) to evaluate flavor safety independently of direct studies oversight. You can learn more about this evaluation process via the official FEMA GRAS Program. When swallowed, the body processes typical dietary levels of these flavor compounds through normal metabolic pathways without systemic issues. However, critics point out that the self-policing nature of GRAS can lead to conflicts of interest.
In contrast, the European Food Safety Authority manages flavor safety using a strict positive list of approved substances to prevent potential genotoxic risks, which is detailed directly on the studies Flavourings Platform.
Furthermore, as of July 9, 2026, the regulatory landscape is shifting. This specific timeframe marks a critical milestone for state-level food standards in the United States, particularly due to the legislative progression of California's proposed non-ultra-processed food (UPF) certification bill (AB 2244), which was introduced in March 2026. Under this pending state framework, the inclusion of added natural flavoring agents may disqualify a food from receiving certified non-UPF status. Consumers and industry stakeholders can monitor the progress of these standards on the California Legislative Information portal. This signals a major shift toward stricter clean-label standards across the country.
For the vast majority of consumers, digesting small amounts of natural flavors causes no side effects. However, sensitive populations should exercise caution. Because companies are not legally required to disclose the exact ingredients in their proprietary flavor blends, individuals with severe food allergies, chemical sensitivities, or specific dietary restrictions (such as vegan or kosher diets) face hidden risks. A flavor derived from beaver glands (castoreum) or insects (cochineal) can still legally be labeled as a "natural flavor."
Additionally, while oral consumption is generally safe, inhalation of certain volatile flavoring agents poses severe industrial health risks. For example, occupational exposure to diacetyl, a natural buttery flavor compound, has been linked to bronchiolitis obliterans, a severe and irreversible lung condition known as "popcorn lung," as detailed in the official OSHA Flavoring Exposure Bulletin. There are also emerging concerns regarding how certain undisclosed carrier solvents or concentrated flavor mixtures might impact the delicate balance of human microbiota, a topic explored in studies like the Effects of Flavored Liquids on Oral Commensal Bacteria.
Our database provides a clear look at how frequently these additives appear in everyday items. Based on original Aurascan aggregate label data, "natural flavors" is a highly scanned ingredient with a sample size of 67 total scans across 26 unique products, representing 14 unique users tracking their dietary inputs.
When we analyze the products containing natural flavors, several top co-occurring ingredients emerge. The most common companion ingredients include:
This data shows that natural flavors are rarely isolated additives. Instead, they are deeply integrated into highly processed beverage and snack formulas, frequently paired with acidity regulators, carbonation, and intensive sweeteners.
Spotting natural flavors on a product label is usually straightforward, but decoding what they actually contain is nearly impossible. On the ingredient deck, you will typically see terms like:
Under current FDA guidelines, if a product contains added citric acid, solvents, or emulsifiers to keep the flavor stable, these processing aids do not have to be listed separately if they function solely as part of the flavor mixture. This loophole has sparked consumer backlash. In March 2026, a high-profile class-action lawsuit was filed against Celestial Seasonings, challenging the brand's "all natural" product claims due to the presence of added citric acid functioning alongside natural flavor mixtures.
If you want to avoid proprietary, highly processed flavor mixtures, the best alternative is to choose whole, unprocessed foods. Preparing meals from scratch allows you to control exactly what enters your body. For sweetness and aroma, rely on whole-food ingredients rather than laboratory-designed mixtures.
Consider these simple swaps:
Much of the research summarized here comes from laboratory, animal, or occupational-exposure studies, and dietary exposure at typical food-use levels is often far lower. Findings cannot always be generalized to every product or person, and this article is educational, not medical advice.
According to FDA regulation 21 CFR 101.22, a natural flavor is any flavoring constituent derived from a spice, fruit, vegetable, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf, or similar plant or animal material, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.
Chemically, natural and artificial flavors are very similar. The primary difference is the source material (nature-derived versus synthetic). Both undergo intensive chemical processing and contain similar synthetic carriers and preservatives, making them comparable in terms of nutritional impact.
Yes, natural flavor mixtures can contain hidden ingredients. Up to 80% to 90% of the formulation can consist of synthetic carrier solvents, emulsifiers, preservatives, and flavor enhancers like monosodium glutamate (MSG), which do not need to be declared on the label.
Not always. Because "natural flavors" can legally be derived from meat, dairy, eggs, or insect sources, vegans cannot be entirely certain of a flavor's origin unless the product is certified vegan or the manufacturer clarifies the source.
California's proposed AB 2244 bill, introduced in March 2026, aims to establish a certified non-ultra-processed food (non-UPF) standard. Under this bill, products containing added natural flavoring agents may be disqualified from receiving non-UPF status, pushing brands to use whole-food ingredients instead.
They can present hidden risks. While major allergens like milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans must be disclosed, other sensitizing ingredients or animal-derived carriers in the flavor mixture may remain undisclosed.
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