What Are Natural Flavors?
The FDA defines the term. Under 21 CFR 101.22, natural flavor means an essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis that contains 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 their fermentation products, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutrition. Artificial flavor means any substance used to impart flavor that is not derived from those sources.
Labels can be brief. The rule allows spice, natural flavor and artificial flavor to be declared in the ingredient list simply as spice, natural flavor or artificial flavor, or a combination of those terms. The FDA's food allergen labeling guidance notes that the law lets spices, flavorings and certain colors be declared as such rather than by each ingredient's common or usual name, and that consumers may not recognize that certain ingredients contain or are derived from a food allergen.
Allergens are the exception. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 says a flavoring, coloring or incidental additive that is, or bears or contains, a major food allergen is subject to its allergen labeling requirements. Separately, the FDA's August 11, 2026 proposed rule would require GRAS notices for food substances claimed to be generally recognized as safe, and estimates 1,740 substances concluded GRAS by association expert panels, a category that includes substances evaluated by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingFDA rules at 21 CFR 101.22 define natural flavor as an extract, distillate or similar product with flavoring constituents from plant or animal sources, used for flavor rather than nutrition. US FDA, 21 CFR 101.22 (eCFR) ↗
- Regulatory filingUnder 21 CFR 101.22, artificial flavor means any substance used to impart flavor that is not derived from a spice, fruit, vegetable, herb, meat, fish, poultry, eggs or dairy. US FDA, 21 CFR 101.22 (eCFR) ↗
- Regulatory filing21 CFR 101.22 allows spice, natural flavor and artificial flavor to be declared in ingredient lists simply as spice, natural flavor or artificial flavor. US FDA, 21 CFR 101.22 (eCFR) ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA's allergen labeling guidance notes the law lets spices, flavorings and certain colors be declared as such, and consumers may not recognize ingredients derived from allergens. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act makes a flavoring, coloring or incidental additive that is or contains a major food allergen subject to allergen labeling. US FDA, FALCPA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA's August 11, 2026 proposed rule would require GRAS notices for human or animal food substances purported to be generally recognized as safe. US FDA, Federal Register ↗
- Regulatory filingThe GRAS proposal estimates 1,740 association expert panel GRAS substances, including substances evaluated by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association. US FDA, Federal Register ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.