What is 'natural flavoring' in ingredient lists on processed food?

1. 68

   dappledesignsposted 11 years ago

   What is 'natural flavoring' in ingredient lists on processed food?
   
   Why don't they break that down as well in the list?

   replyreport
2. 84

   Tolovajposted 11 years ago

   This is in most cases flavor made by extract from natural source. For instance you can extract aroma from a fruit and add it to some kinds of foods. Why not adding 'a real' fruit? Well, aroma can be more stable and easier to handle, what makes the process of production easier and cheaper.
   (Most people don't know majority of 100 percent fruit juices are not made from fruit, but from fruit concentrates which have much longer 'life'.)

   replyreport
3. 68

   chefsrefposted 11 years ago

   Some truly revolting items are listed as natural flavorings.
   Ever heard of Castoreum? That's the secretion from an anal gland of a beaver. Confectioner's glaze?  That's made from secretions of a bug; the female Kerria lacca, native to Thailand. How about those lovely pastel icings on donuts and candies? Most are made from petroleum with some red dye made from beetles. Processed American foods are probably toxic for long term use and without a doubt contribute to our epidemic rates of obesity, diabetes and some cancers. Then of course there are the GMO foods. So far all evidence says they are safe. On the other hand cigarettes were considered safe for many years and drugs like Thalidomide were thought safe until evidence convicted them. If you want safe food the only way forward is to make your own
   I have some listed in this Hub: http://chefsref.hubpages.com/hub/Disgus … ican-Style

   replyreport
4. 73

   someonewhoknowsposted 11 years ago

   Believe it or not ! I've seen the words "natural flavor" listed as one of the ingredients of unsalted butter. This is real butter.Not a man made substitute.
   I do know that food manufacturers use things like monosodium glutimate    which originated from Asia (China I think). It's a well known flavor enhancer that isn't all that healthy to consume.It's Like Malodextrin a sugar substitute  which is also a flavor enhancer.
   It, may be legal to use according to the F.D.A. Then the F.D.A. has been led in recent years at, least by individuals who used to work for the very industries that they now regulate .
   
   P.S. There are many processed foods these days that use the words "All Natural" on the front of the package as well as in the ingredients list.
   The craziest thing I've seen is a package of dried fruit that states on the front that it's made with "real fruit" and the ingredients list clearly states the only ingredient is fruit. as,If a person reading the ingredients does not understand English or something as obvious as natural fruit was something unexpected by the consumer.

   replyreport