What are natural flavors?
Natural flavors are flavoring substances extracted from plant or animal sources including fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, bark, roots, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. The FDA defines natural flavors under 21 CFR 101.22 as those derived from these sources through processes such as roasting, heating, distillation, or fermentation. Despite their "natural" designation, these flavors may undergo significant processing to isolate and concentrate specific flavor compounds. "Natural flavor" is one of the most frequently listed ingredients on packaged food labels in the United States.
123,868 products in our database contain natural flavors. 42,296 of them (34%) are Level 4, the most processed of our four levels.
Which foods contain natural flavors?
Natural flavors are among the most common ingredients in packaged foods, appearing in beverages, snack foods, cereals, yogurts, ice cream, crackers, sauces, dressings, frozen meals, canned soups, protein bars, and virtually every category of processed food products.
Santa Barbara, Mango Salsa with Peach, Medium
Shoprite, Scrunchy, Toasted Oats Sweetened Oat Cereal, Apple Cinnamon
Apple Cinnamon Sweetened Toasted Oat Cereal
The Original Caesar Dressing
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Chocolate Hazelnut
Glutino, Gluten Free Crackers, Cheddar
Family Recipe Italian Dressing
Margarita & Lime White Corn Tortilla Chips
Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
Granola Bark
House Italian Made with Peramesan Cheese
Organic Ice Cream Bars
Deli Fresh Chipotle Seasoned Chicken Breast
Campbell's Sauces Pineapple Teriyaki
Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Cup
Original Recipe Tapioca Pudding
Duncan Hines, Pie Filling & Topping, Apple
Chipotle Pepper Marinade
Pizza Quick Snack Sauce
Hormel, Premium Chicken Breast in Water
Great Value, Chunk Chicken Breast with Rib Meat in Water
Smoothie Drinks
Calypso, Lemonade
Butter Caramels
Blackberry Patch, Cinnamon Apple Topping, Cinnamon, Apple
Seasoning Mix
Heinz, Beans with Tomato Sauce
Dutch Licorice Coins
Bush's Pinto Beans with Jalapenos 16 Oz
Cheese Alternative, Mozzarella Style
Larabar Blueberry Muffin Fruit & Nut Bar
Belgioioso, Freshly Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Vermont Creamery, French - Style Cultured Cream, Vanilla
Vanilla Ice Cream with Real Vanilla Bean
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Crystal White Corn Syrup, Crystal White
Light Corn Syrup with Real Vanilla, Light, Vanilla
Light Corn Syrup, Light Corn
Light Corn Syrup, Real Vanilla
Lite Corn Syrup with Real Vanilla, Real Vanilla
Light Corn Syrup Made with Real Vanilla
Light Corn Syrup with Real Vanilla, Real Vanilla
Light Corn Syrup with Real Vanilla, Real Vanilla
Food Club
Light Corn Syrup
Clover Valley
Light Corn Syrup, Light
Clover Valley
100% Japanese Green Tea
Lipton, Pure Green Tea
Spry, Dental Defense System, Chewing Gum, Green Tea
Impra, Natural Iced Tea, Soothing Natural, Soothing Natural
Kroger, 100% Natural Green Tea
Garden of the Andes, 100% Organic Pure Green Tea
Ever-Green, China Green Tea
Organic Black Tea
Temple of Heaven, Special Gunpowder China Green Tea
Essential Everyday, 100% Natural Green Tea
Iced Tea Blend
Lagg's, Green Tea
Green Iced Tea
Black House Blend Cold Brew Coffee
Yamamotoyama, Oolong Tea
Also known as
Natural Flavors can appear in ingredient lists under several names. If you see any of the following, this is the ingredient family you are looking at:
Function
Natural flavors enhance, supplement, or create specific taste profiles in food products. They allow manufacturers to achieve consistent flavor across production batches regardless of seasonal variations in raw ingredient quality. Natural flavors can replicate the taste of expensive or scarce ingredients at lower cost, and they enable complex flavor profiles that would be difficult to achieve with whole food ingredients alone. A single natural flavor formulation may contain dozens of individual compounds isolated from multiple natural sources, combined with natural solvents, emulsifiers, and preservatives.
Sources
Natural flavors are extracted from their source materials through physical or enzymatic processes including steam distillation, cold pressing, solvent extraction, and fermentation. A single natural flavor formulation may contain many individual aroma compounds isolated from multiple natural sources. Flavor houses employ skilled flavorists who blend extracted compounds to create desired taste profiles. The carrier systems (solvents, emulsifiers) used in natural flavor formulations are also required to be derived from natural sources, though the specific components of a flavor formulation are typically proprietary.
Health considerations
Natural flavors are classified as GRAS or approved food additives by the FDA. The proprietary nature of flavor formulations means consumers may not know the specific source ingredients, which can be a consideration for individuals with allergies or dietary restrictions. The FDA requires that any major allergen used in a natural flavor be declared on the label. The distinction between "natural" and "artificial" flavors is primarily about the source of the flavor compounds rather than their chemical structure, as the molecules may be identical.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Regulatory
The FDA regulates natural flavors under 21 CFR 101.22 and requires them to be derived from approved natural sources. They may be listed simply as "natural flavor" or "natural flavoring" on ingredient labels without disclosing specific components, which is an ongoing subject of consumer advocacy discussion. In the NOVA food classification system, the addition of flavoring agents — whether natural or artificial — is considered an indicator of a higher food processing level. Any major allergens present in a natural flavor formulation must be declared on the label. The EU has separate definitions and labeling requirements for natural flavorings under Regulation EC 1334/2008, with stricter requirements for using the term "natural."