If you trace anything back far enough it has to come from something that’s naturally found, right? So how removed does something have to be from those ingredients for it to be considered natural? Where’s the line?
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When any part of tree or animal is directly used as an ingredient, it is natural (even pits, peels, bark, leaves,etc). Any other cases, it has to be mentioned nature identical and artificial. I am not quite sure about the exact guidelines, but Alton Brown has mentioned it once or twice.
There is no classification called “natural”. Its not a regulated term. Legally, at least in the US, you can call anything natural. If something says natural, it does not necessarily have any meaning you can discern from it, its just marketing slogans.
Organic is different, this is a legal term and you have to go through a process to have your item (and the ingredients used to make it, if necessary) be confirmed as “organic”
The term natural flavor or natural flavoring is defined by the FDA as a substance extracted, distilled, or similarly derived from natural sources like plants (fruits, herbs, veggies, barks, roots, etc.) or animals (meat, dairy products, eggs, etc.) via a method of heating, with its main function in food being flavoring not nutritional.
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