Stopped falling for 'natural flavors' on packages after a guy at a farmer's market in Iowa showed me the ingredient list on my favorite chips

I used to grab anything with those words and feel good about it, but now I actually check the label because 'natural flavors' can still mean processed additives and I found out the hard way after three months of stomach issues.

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_hart74mo ago

I read somewhere that "natural flavors" basically just means the flavor came from a natural source originally, but that source can be anything from celery to tree bark and they don't have to tell you which one. It's like they can process it in a lab and still call it natural because it started from a plant or animal. That blew my mind a little because I always thought natural meant simple ingredients you could recognize. So now I just buy plain chips and season them myself with salt and pepper, no mystery ingredients that way.

casey_lane732mo ago

Actually the FDA definition is a bit more specific than that. "Natural flavors" have to come from something that was originally a plant or animal, but they can be heavily processed using chemicals and enzymes and still keep that label. The key is the starting material, not how much they mess with it. So your instant ramen packet with "natural chicken flavor" might start with actual chicken but end up as a powder that barely resembles anything from a farm. That farmer's market guy sounds like he knew his stuff.

luna_craig584mo ago

Yeah, my stomach went on strike too after I trusted "natural flavors" on some trail mix.