I am thoroughly disgusted by what I have found out regarding natural flavors. I really shouldn't be surprised. I have heard rumors of these things before, but reading a transcript from someone who creates flavors for a living really sealed the deal for me. No more natural flavors for this family! It won't be easy, and it may be a slow process to remove them from the house, but I think it will be worth it.

So are natural flavors really natural? Yes, they are, but not in the way that any normal person would think. Here is the definition of natural flavors according to the FDA:

The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.

That doesn't sound too bad, right? The problem is that when you see something that is strawberry natural flavored, you probably assume that it is flavored from strawberries. That is most likely NOT the case. It also makes sense that things that are meat flavored would come from natural meat sources and things that are fruit flavored would come from natural fruit sources, but that's not always true either. The most disturbing thing that I found is that the flavors vanilla and strawberry can both come from the contents of the anal sac of beavers.

WHAT?!

Yeah, that's what I said too.

Natural? Technically, yes.

Good to consume? Maybe not.

Good on the conscience? Heck No!

I am starting to think that the only reason that is the most disgusting one I could find is because it is the only one that has been "leaked" to the public. That little tid bit of information was given to 60 Minutes by a Flavorist (one of the people that actually come up with and create the natural flavors that go into our foods). I can only imagine that the companies who sell these flavors want to keep their ingredients under wraps so that they can stay in business! So, what other interesting (read: horrifying) things are we consuming under the label "natural flavor"?

Those companies have another reason to keep their ingredients hidden from the public eye. They may be promoting obesity through triggering overeating. The Flavorists are tasked with creating flavors that are irresistable and fleeting. That way, we can't just eat one (I mean, when was the last time you ate just one cookie?) and the next time we see that same thing on the shelf of the store, we will buy it again. It makes sense for the food companies. It doesn't make sense for us as consumers.

So, what are we to do as consumers? In my opinion; Eat whole foods. Whole foods don't contain natural flavors. Maybe if enough people can stay away from packaged foods and those that contain natural flavors, the companies will start to lose money and have to change their practices. It sure would be nice to live in a world where we don't have to scrutinize food labels!