What Is Organic Natural Flavor? Understanding Its Role in Food Labels

Nutritional science is always changing, and it's hard to keep up. Scientists and health authorities say to focus on whole, unprocessed foods, but grocery stores are packed with processed and ultra-processed foods. Many health foods and seemingly nutritious sources fall in a chasm between these two opposing ideas: protein powders are processed, but they offer low-calorie protein from identified sources. Healthy snacks in the middle of the grocery store contain preservatives and artificial ingredients, but they're clearly better than potato chips—right? When you get into the weeds of healthy foods, shoppers without a Ph.D. often have to rely on terms like "natural flavors," "clean," "superfood," and "organic"—but every single one of them can be misleading because they aren't sufficiently regulated. 

Today's shoppers need to know what's in their food. We know the microbiome can be compromised by artificial sugar and synthetic ingredients, and we know better gut health is the key to reduced inflammation, reduced risk of obesity and metabolic conditions, and fewer chronic health concerns. But when companies can spin seemingly health-conscious terms into empty marketing promises, making your own health and food choices is hard.

In this guide, we address some of the terms that can trick people into thinking they're making healthy food choices and why "organic natural flavors" is the better term to look for. We'll also provide the tools you need to understand food labels, see through misleading label tricks, and find foods that actually help you on your wellness journey. 

Let's go.

Defining Natural Flavors

For consumers, the concept of "natural" seems like it should be clear at a glance. Natural vanilla comes from real vanilla pods, natural chocolate flavors come from cacao, and natural hazelnut flavors come from real hazelnuts. But it's not that simple.

In the United States, the Code of Federal Regulations § 101.22 (a)(3) defines natural flavors as those containing the "natural essence or extractives obtained from plants," as well as from animals and microorganisms. The FDA simply requires that the source of the flavor must occur in nature. It doesn't specify the manufacturing criteria for an extract to be considered a natural flavor, meaning manufacturers can use any number of extraction processes, inorganic catalysts, artificial enzymes, and chemical alterations along the way. Trying to discern what counts as natural is even more confusing because the FDA doesn't define what "natural" really means.  

Natural flavors can even include extracts from GMOs and dozens of different preservatives and additives while still being able to carry the "natural" label. Depending on the manufacturer, they may include dozens of different incidental additives hidden within the natural flavors. These hidden additives include glycerin, propylene glycol, and artificial solvents. The FDA has cleared these ingredients to be incorporated into natural flavors and other products, but manufacturers don't have to disclose those chemicals to consumers on the product label.  Remember: as long as the flavor source itself is considered natural, the whole product can be labeled as a natural flavor. 

The key takeaway for consumers is that "natural" does not at all guarantee "unprocessed"—and if you're worried about effects on your microbiome, potential sensitivities, or even the unknown effects of different chemical extraction processes, searching the label for a promise that your favorite foods contain natural flavors is not enough. 

Natural Vs. Artificial Flavors

The line between natural and artificial flavors isn't always clear. Regulations define artificial flavors as any flavoring component not "derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products." (§ 101.22 (a)(3)) But when natural flavors can be chemically altered by synthetic compounds and include synthetic emulsifiers, preservatives, colorants, and other additives, there's no meaningful distinction for shoppers trying to make healthy choices. 

Even taste can't guide your buying decisions. Synthetic flavor compounds made in a lab are chemically identical to natural extracts. For example, both real vanilla extract and artificial vanilla flavor contain vanillin, the main molecular compound that creates the recognizable 'vanilla' taste. Real vanilla includes secondary flavor compounds with more woodsy or floral depth, and artificial vanilla manufacturers simply don't include them. Some people can taste the difference, but most people can't—and even culinary experts say most of the secondary flavors get destroyed in the cooking process, so budget-conscious cooks may as well use artificial flavors. 

Discerning foodies and health-conscious customers can elevate their cooking by discarding artificial flavors and opting for natural ones most of the time. Natural flavors are also generally considered safer, as the science isn't completely settled on how chemically identical but synthetically fabricated compounds interact with our biology.  But there are some ways artificial flavors might be safer:

• Food scientists have to do a lot of extra work to stabilize natural compounds: Whole, natural foods decay. This is why we have ultra-processed shelf-stable goods in the first place. So, for manufacturers to transform natural sources of flavor into powders or small bottles of extracts, they have to break down and chemically alter those natural sources with a wide range of reactive enzymes, synthetic chemicals, and radiation. Some artificial flavors, in comparison, don't require all that chemical alteration and processing. 
• "Natural" can give us enough peace of mind to ignore portion control: Health-conscious consumers know to pump the brakes on ice cream and candy, while it's much better to indulge in Greek yogurt and whole fruit. But that guiding principle—limit the unhealthy foods and be more lenient with healthy ones—causes trouble when shoppers think natural flavors and foods are inherently better. You can accidentally undo progress on healing your microbiome if you eat bigger portions of food with natural flavors than you would have with artificial flavors. 
• The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA)'s GRAS is a flawed system: The FDA can't thoroughly investigate every single new food product and compound that hits the market. Instead, the FDA relies on FEMA to evaluate flavorings through a voluntary GRAS notification program in which manufacturers assess their own substances and report their findings. These regulatory protocols work well enough in most instances, and there are plenty of protocols to investigate foods and compounds later found to have adverse effects. But it's simply not robust enough to gauge whether chronic exposure to the manufacturing processes that alter natural flavor sources cause harm (let alone the other incidental additives that manufacturers can freely use in GRAS substances).
• This isn't to say that natural flavors are a lie and artificial flavors are better. It's to say that the issue is too complex to simply stop at "natural is better." There's one more step to take if you want to make sure the natural flavors you're purchasing are real and don't contain synthetic compounds: zero in on organic natural flavors from a reputable source.

Organic Natural Flavors: What's the Difference?

An "organic natural flavor" is held to a higher standard of regulations and criteria than just "natural flavors." The U.S. Department of Agriculture established these requirements, and products can only say they are (or contain) organic natural flavors if they meet the standards for manufacturing/production, labeling, and total product contents: 

• Food processors cannot use synthetic solvents or carriers, genetic engineering (GMO goods), or ionizing ionizing radiation to process the goods and extract or chemically stabilize the flavors. Manufacturers also can't use artificial preservatives to keep them shelf stable. 
• Companies that want to sell organic foods must meet the organic labeling requirements that govern their specific products and industry. 
• The product as a whole must be at least 95% composed of organic ingredients, without large volumes of synthetic or non-organic compounds.

This set of standards is much closer to how the EU and the International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) define natural flavors, as these bodies care about the manufacturing and extraction processes, not just the flavor source. Whereas "natural" means there are no artificial flavor sources, "organic" means there are no artificial flavor sources and the manufacturing processes don't introduce synthetic ingredients, either. 

At this point, you largely have the answer to the core question, "Is organic flavor healthy?" But even at this stage, it pays dividends to scrutinize every word in that sentence. You know what "organic natural flavor" is, but "healthy" means different things to different people.

Here's what you can walk away with as you start shopping for healthier foods: Organic flavors are non-GMO and don't contain more than 5% non-organic base ingredients. This means they don't present the health concerns of synthetic flavors and the murky unknowns of natural flavors. You can move forward knowing these products are less likely to trigger allergies, food sensitivities, or gut inflammation.

But flavors, as a regulated category of consumable goods, don't provide nutrition by definition. So they don't have minerals, nutrients, vitamins, or any of the good stuff that the sources of those flavors (hazelnuts, cacao, bananas, and so on) have. Combined, these two facts don't mean that a product with organic natural flavors is healthy. Instead, they tell you that it isn't unhealthy—a seemingly annoying distinction, but one that you can add to your checklist as you decide which criteria make a food healthy or unhealthy for your unique needs.

Regulations and Labeling

You have the guiding principles behind the food safety and value of artificial, natural, and organic natural flavors, but how do you use that knowledge when you're shopping for food? Here are some helpful tactics for scrutinizing labels: 

1: Ingredient labels do not include the ingredients used in natural flavors. 

Natural flavors don't have to tell you all the ingredients in them. They only have to identify the type of flavor. The incidental additives we saw earlier, like glycerin and propylene glycol, won't be on the label, even if they're in the food.

This is also true for processed foods that include natural flavors. When you flip a product over to read over the ingredient list, it will tell you what natural and artificial flavors are included. But it won't tell you what individual ingredients make up those flavors. 

2: Organic is a protected term—but it's complicated.

In the United States, the USDA regulates the term "organic." The USDA must certify that the company uses organic practices through an on-site inspection and subsequent reviews. Only then can the company use the word "organic" or add the "USDA organic" label (the iconic green and white circle). However, there are exceptions and gray areas surrounding organic foods. 

For example, a product that's 100% organic is truly 100% organic, provided the company is blatantly breaking the law. However, a product that is simply organic is at least 95% organic, with 5% of wiggle room. Products with 70% organic ingredients can label themselves as "made with organic [organic ingredients]" while still having 30% inorganic or even GMO or artificial ingredients. To a busy shopper who doesn't know the distinctions, they all seem the same. But now that you know the difference, you can better scrutinize the labels and choose your preferred level of organic.

3: Flavor makes up very little of a flavored product.

Sodas, cakes, and flavored coffees can have very strong flavor additives without having a lot of flavor extracts and essences in them. In the United States, food labels list each ingredient in order by weight. So, if you want to know exactly what flavors are in your favorite products—natural or otherwise—you'll have to glance through the entire list. This also means you can have "organic" products or products "made with organic X, Y, and Z" that have natural or artificial flavors. Unless they explicitly note that they only contain organic natural flavors, 

Health Effects of Natural Flavors

The FDA classifies natural flavors as generally safe, so why does all this matter?

It matters because that doesn't actually guarantee that the products are safe. It's widely acknowledged that there are gaps in FDA regulatory processes, and GRAS foods and ingredients don't necessarily have clear research regarding long-term outcomes. There's simply no clear science on what prolonged and potentially excessive consumption can do to the microbiome, general health, or bodies sensitive to inflammation and artificial ingredients. What you mean by "safe" and what the FDA means are likely two very different things.

The SCOGS database, which details GRAS substances, also never promises that natural flavors are safe. It simply explains when there is not enough evidence to ban certain products or classify them as dangerous. It by no means guarantees that a product is safe as it is currently consumed or that it's safe if we consume more of it.

In fact, there are many potential dangers that warrant continued caution: 

• Diacetyl is a natural flavoring used in microwave popcorn. Breathing in a large amount of diacetyl can cause bronchiolitis obliterans or, more colloquially, popcorn lung. While this isn't likely to cause an issue for consumers who have popcorn every once in a while, it's hazardous for people working in factories and for people who regularly prepare popcorn with diacetyl.
• Some people react to high doses of MSG by feeling headaches, heart palpitations, sweating, or even chest pains. MSG is also associated with obesity. While MSG may not directly cause obesity, it can make processed food much more appealing to consumers, encouraging overeating even in seemingly foods labeled as 'low fat' or 'sugar-free.'
• Both methyl N-acetyl anthranilate (berry flavor) and citral (lemon flavor) cause skin irritation. 

Even when the natural flavors themselves are not a direct issue, their extraction methods and the incidental additives can present real health risks to people with food additives. But because of greenwashing surrounding natural products, consumers can be easily led into thinking they're making a safe choice. By researching natural flavors and understanding the potential hazards, you are protecting yourself.

Synthetic Ingredients in Natural Flavors

So far, we've lightly discussed synthetic catalysts and other incidental additives that can proliferate natural flavors. Some of the most common synthetic chemicals you'll find in natural flavors are: 

• Artificial preservatives: Many foods contain synthetic preservatives that make goods last longer without separating or decaying. These include nitrates and nitrites (salts commonly used to preserve meat products), sorbic acid, and sulfurous acid.
• Synthetic solvents: Food processors can use solvents to extract natural flavors, but natural flavors don't have to use natural solvents in the United States. Instead, manufacturers can use ethanol and aromatic petroleum-based solvents. (Organic natural flavors, however, must use non-petroleum-based solvents).
• Synthetic flavor enhancers and secondary flavors: Your natural flavors might have alcohols, esters that add fruity notes, phenolic compounds for added smokiness, terpenoids that add citrusy or pine notes, and ketones that give a caramel note to flavors. For example, salted caramel natural flavors may have artificial or natural vanillin combined with ketones, or food processors might create a strawberry flavor from vanillin and esters.
• Colorants: You might see Blue 1, Red 40, and Yellow 5 in brightly colored foods with natural flavorings, especially in processed foods or baking ingredients. 

Unfortunately, you may not know when these ingredients are present in your natural flavors. The FDA does not require companies to add them to ingredient labels.

The Role of Natural Flavor in Food Products

Despite their potential health implications, manufacturers know that natural flavors play an important role in food products. In processed goods like cereals, snack foods, and candy, strong natural flavors can cover up empty-tasting products or even products that taste bad. Many preservation and processing techniques strip away food's natural—or we should say authentic—flavor. Preservative salts, high heat and dehydration, and chemical breakdown processes often make processed goods bland or unpalatable, and prolonged oxidation makes natural fats taste rancid. Adding in strong flavors can replace the missing taste and cover unappealing flavors, making products more popular.

But natural flavors don't just solve a problem. They help create a surge in demand. Natural flavors create a "food carnival" or "magic whoosh" sensation in consumers' mouths. Our taste buds crave excitement, whether it's salty and savory tastes, sweet and vanilla notes, or extremely fruity flavors, and many people overeat because they want to keep experiencing the bursts of flavor, not because they're truly hungry. This overstimulation can lead to chronic overeating, make whole and minimally processed foods less appealing, and expose us to the unknown hazards of long-term natural flavor consumption.

Food Labeling and Transparency

Educating yourself on food science and nutrition can feel like an exercise in futility, especially for shoppers doing their best to keep up with the science and make healthy choices for themselves and their families. You might try to discern between processed and ultra-processed goods or focus on natural flavors instead of artificial flavors, only to feel like you were lied to and that all your hard work got you nowhere. But with growing uncertainty about how natural flavors affect our bodies and the unknown additives that go into natural flavors, it's important to keep checking your food's labels.

While the FDA doesn't require food packaging to list all the ingredients in your natural flavors or how they're prepared, you now have more insight. You can scan labels and correctly identify the visual clues that tell you how natural a product really is. Here are some fast guidelines you can use: 

• Be cautious about the word 'natural'—it's not meaningless, but marketing campaigns around natural flavors are often misleading.
• Look for 'USDA organic' labels and, even if a processed food isn't fully organic, see if you have options with organic natural flavors. This may be marked in the ingredient list with a small asterisk and a brief key. For example, our Marathon Maple oatmeal contains organic, gluten-free oats and organic chia seeds, which are marked with an asterisk on every label. 
• If you're shopping online, take a moment to research the food brand itself. You can learn a lot about the company's practices and commitment to honest manufacturing practices with a quick online search instead of relying on the label.

Consumer Awareness and Education

If you've reached this far in our guide to organic natural flavors and food labels, then you already have a lot more knowledge than most consumers. You shouldn't have to thoroughly research every company and every product to ascertain its safety for yourself, but with gaps in FDA GRAS regulations and billions of marketing dollars being used in greenwashing campaigns for processed foods, the only way forward is to educate yourself, and diligently scan the labels of new-to-you products before deciding if they belong in your home. 

We recommend looking at every label to ascertain whether a product is organic or non-GMO. It's not enough for products to have natural flavors instead of synthetic ones; look for varieties that have organic natural flavors or no added flavorings at all, depending on the product. For example, you can replace coffee creamers full of natural and artificial flavors with Sweet & Creamy Superfood Creamer®, which gets its sweet, nutty flavor from organic coconut sugar. By making it a habit to research your food and the ingredients different brands use, you can be a more active advocate for your health and have more peace of mind about what you're eating. 

Do Your Research to Find Great-Tasting Organic Natural Flavors You Can Trust 

So, what do you do next? It can be overwhelming to suddenly start researching all of your food and saying goodbye to all the products you've used and trusted for years. So start with a single change. Find one type of food that you routinely buy, such as your morning coffee or your go-to sweet treat, and find an alternative that fits your standards and only uses real ingredients. Start with an easy option like our Big Wave Starter Bundle, which has seven different drink mixes and no artificial or natural flavors in any of them.

At Laird Superfood, we don't use artificial flavors, natural flavors, or even organic natural flavors. We just use real, non-GMO ingredients. If you like the flavors, subscribe to receive weekly or monthly deliveries of that product. Then, you never have to go to a store or worry over different packaging details. After a couple of weeks, move on to the next food, such as your afternoon snack or the flavor extracts you use for baking, and repeat the process.

The best way to eat healthy is also the simplest—avoid natural flavors, and choose food that only has real, reliably sourced ingredients. Change your lifestyle with convenient subscriptions and well-researched decisions that fit your wellness journey.