When I hear the word natural I think of something pure and unadulterated. I used to buy foods that had natural flavor thinking I was buying something healthy but I was unaware of what it really meant. When I started really looking into what natural flavors really were I was shocked.
What is Natural Flavor?
Natural flavor according to The Canada Food Inspection Agency is the following: Substances which impart flavors which have been derived from a plant or animal source, may be claimed to be “natural”.
Basically, the only thing that’s really ‘natural’ about natural flavor is that the chemicals that make it up originated from a plant or animal. Artificial flavors on the other hand may be made with the same chemicals, however, the chemicals in artificial flavors come from a synthetic source (making them less expensive). Both are created in a laboratory environment by a scientist known as a flavorist who blends chemicals together to form flavorings.
If a food manufacturing company was actually using essential oils, spices (e.g. cinnamon), pure vanilla extract, etc to flavor their foods, they would tell you on the label because they would be so proud to let you know about how great their ingredients are. When companies use the term ‘natural flavour’, it’s because they are using a flavor boosting science project to create a taste that they have determined you will like and will have you coming back for more. Very sneaky!
Furthermore, if you are purchasing something that is:
- Organic
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
OR all 3 you may be consuming an animal product like turkey, pig, cow, chicken or lamb that may have been fed GMO-pesticide laden corn or grain and possibly given growth hormones. Whoa, all that could be happening in the innocently packaged term ‘natural flavor’. This is not cool, especially because as a consumer we would have no way of knowing.
In case you don’t really mind flavor derived from animals or plants and think they are healthy think about trans fats, nitrates, and high fructose corn syrup that are derived from plants and/or animals but are far from being good for us. In general, since many food companies prioritize taste over health, there is a definite possibility that the plant or animal product being used for natural flavour may be harmful to our health.
The term ‘natural flavor’ is also quite ambiguous. It allows companies to ‘hide’ ingredients under an umbrella term. I don’t really like that. Why shouldn’t I know what’s in my food? Since the term ‘natural flavor’ on its own is such a broad term, I aim to stay away from it rather than crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
Although you can find natural flavor as an ingredients in thousands of products, I thought I would choose one in particular that was most surprising to me. Let’s take a look at tea and undress why natural flavor is often found in the ingredient list.
Natural Flavour in MY Tea? Say It Ain’t So!
Since learning about natural flavour I try to avoid it and choose healthier options. However, I was surprised to see it on specialty teas that are purportedly healthy.
In particular, natural flavor appears as an ingredient in many of the teas available at a tea cafe like David’s tea that has the whole healthy-vibe down pat. Don’t get me wrong, I love David’s tea but I also love my body! In most if not all of their mixed teas you can find the ambiguous natural flavor listed as an ingredient which is quite surprising since mixed teas contain spices, herbs and herbal teas that are quite flavorful and aromatic on their own without any enhancement.
Tips
Natural flavor is used to ‘enhance’ what is already occurring in nature making it not so natural. So what can you do?
1. Read ingredient labels religiously, you might notice this ingredient and a lot of others that aren’t so healthy.
2. Ask: When ordering tea, ask to see the box it came in OR when buying loose leaf tea check the label too. The pure teas I’ve seen at David’s tea contain no natural flavor. My favorites are matcha, mint and green rooibos!
3. Educate others on what natural flavor really is so they can make healthier choices too!
I would love it if you could help me spread the word about natural flavors. Tweet it and share it on facebook using the links below. Let’s let the world know what’s really in their tea (and many other food products they are eating).
At The Naked Label we LOVE Michelle. Her scientific background and approach to nutrition is eye opening and informative. We love her personality and passion for helping her clients achieve their goals while having fun with food along the way. Definitely check out here site LALLnutrition.com to learn how you can work with Michelle.
Sources:
www.drjoanneday.com
www.naturalnews.com
www.today.com
