eli5 what are “natural flavors” and why aren’t they described exactly
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A natural flavoring is defined by the FDA as “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.”
Many of the chemicals that make up “natural flavors” fall under a category called “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS. The problem is that about 1/3 of GRAS chemicals have never tested, researched or approved by the FDA, but they’re still classified as GRAS and able to be used in our food. So take from that what you will.
Furthermore, the term “natural flavoring” has been defined by the FDA and has rules and requirements attached to it, but the term “natural” as applied to food products, has not been defined by the FDA and therefore allows for some degree of processing and synthetic / engineered ingredients in “natural” food just because it is poorly regulated.
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