"Natural flavor" is one of the most common phrases on a food label and one of the least understood. It sounds like it means something—real fruit, real ingredients, real food. It doesn't have to mean any of those things. Under current FDA regulations, "natural flavor" can be derived from almost anything that originated as a plant, animal, seafood, dairy, or fermentation product—and processed to the point where the original source is unrecognizable.
This matters because "natural flavor" now appears on the ingredient list of the majority of packaged foods sold in the United States. If you're reading labels, you're running into it constantly. If you're trying to understand what's actually in your food, you deserve a straight answer about what that phrase actually permits.
In this article:
- What the FDA definition of natural flavor actually says
- What natural flavors can be made from—and how they're processed
- Why natural and artificial flavors are more similar than the label implies
- Why we don't use them
The FDA defines natural flavor as "the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis" derived from a natural source. That definition is doing a lot of work. It covers thousands of possible substances, none of which have to be disclosed by name on a food label. Source: 21 CFR § 101.22(a)(3).
The FDA Definition—and What It Actually Allows
The Code of Federal Regulations defines natural flavors at 21 CFR § 101.22. The definition permits natural flavor to be derived from spices, fruit, fruit juice, vegetables, vegetable juice, edible yeast, herbs, bark, buds, root leaves, plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products. Any of those starting materials can then be subjected to "roasting, heating or enzymolysis"—industrial processes that can substantially transform the original substance.
What the regulation does not require: disclosure of the specific source. A natural flavor derived from shrimp, beaver castor glands, or heavily processed plant protein concentrate all qualifies equally as "natural flavor" on a label. The consumer sees the same two words regardless.
The FDA's rationale for this broad category is that natural flavors are present in small quantities and considered safe. That's probably true. The problem isn't acute toxicity. The problem is that "natural flavor" functions as a label that signals wholesomeness while permitting processes and sources most people would never associate with the word "natural."
How Natural Flavors Are Actually Made
The flavor industry is a multi-billion dollar sector that operates almost entirely out of public view. Flavor houses—companies like Givaudan, International Flavors & Fragrances, and Symrise—develop proprietary flavor compounds that food manufacturers purchase and add to products. The specific formulations are protected as trade secrets. Neither the flavor house nor the food manufacturer is required to disclose what's in them beyond the single term "natural flavor."
The process typically involves isolating flavor-active compounds from a natural source, then concentrating, stabilizing, and standardizing them using solvents, emulsifiers, and carriers. The final flavor additive may contain dozens of individual chemical compounds, all derived from natural sources, all combined into something that produces a consistent, shelf-stable flavor that real fruit, for example, cannot reliably provide on its own.
This is why "strawberry natural flavor" in a snack does not mean there is strawberry in the snack. It means there is a flavoring compound derived from some natural source—possibly strawberry, possibly something else entirely—that produces a strawberry-like taste. The FDA requires only that the flavoring function is to impart flavor, not that the source matches what the name on the front of the package implies. (Source: FDA Food Ingredients & Additives overview.)
Natural vs Artificial Flavor: A Smaller Difference Than You Think
Here's the thing food manufacturers don't advertise: natural and artificial flavors are often chemically identical compounds. The distinction the FDA draws is about origin, not structure. If a compound called isoamyl acetate—the primary flavor molecule in banana—is extracted from a natural source, it's a natural flavor. If it's synthesized in a laboratory to the exact same molecular structure, it's an artificial flavor.
Same molecule. Different label. Different consumer perception.
A 2018 article in Scientific American noted that "natural flavors may actually be more problematic than artificial ones" in some cases—not because they're more harmful, but because the sourcing and processing required to isolate naturally-derived flavor compounds is sometimes more resource-intensive and less transparent than direct synthesis. The naturalness is regulatory, not practical.
This doesn't mean artificial flavors are preferable. It means the natural/artificial distinction on a food label is not a reliable proxy for clean ingredients, minimal processing, or anything that resembles the plain reading of the word "natural."
Allergens and "Natural Flavor"
This is where the lack of disclosure creates a real practical problem. Because natural flavors can be derived from meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy, people with food allergies or dietary restrictions cannot always determine from a label whether a "natural flavor" is compatible with their needs.
The FDA does require that the top eight major allergens—milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans—be declared even when they appear as part of a "natural flavor." So if a natural flavor is derived from shrimp, "contains shellfish" should appear on the label. In practice, this system is not perfect, and consumers with sensitivities are often advised to contact manufacturers directly to verify the source of any "natural flavor" in a product they're considering. (Source: FDA Food Allergen Labeling.)
For people avoiding animal products: natural flavors derived from animal sources are permitted under the "natural flavor" label. There is no requirement to distinguish plant-derived from animal-derived natural flavors on a label. Products labeled as vegan or certified plant-based will typically verify that natural flavors in their formulas are plant-derived, but standard labeling does not provide this assurance.
Why "Natural Flavor" Is Everywhere
Natural flavors are ubiquitous for a straightforward reason: real food doesn't taste the same every time. A strawberry crop from June in California doesn't taste like one from August. Processing strips flavor. Shelf life requires stability that fresh ingredients don't provide. Natural flavor solves the consistency problem at scale—it makes every bag of a product taste identical regardless of when or where the actual fruit was grown or whether there's much real fruit in the product at all.
There's also a cost factor. Developing a flavor compound that produces a convincing fruit taste is cheaper than using enough real fruit to actually taste like fruit. "Natural flavor" enables the front of the package to carry fruit imagery and fruit language while the actual fruit contribution to the product is minimal or absent.
The result is a food system where most of what people taste in packaged food—from beverages to snacks to condiments—is engineered flavor rather than the taste of actual ingredients. That's not inherently dangerous. It's worth knowing.
What Rbel Bee Does Instead
We don't use natural flavors. Not in Wild Child Cherry. Not in Poma Punch. Not in Blue Streak. We don't use "flavors" of any kind—natural, artificial, or otherwise.
The flavor in Wild Child Cherry comes from tart cherry. The flavor in Poma Punch comes from pomegranate and Mexican vanilla and saffron. The flavor in Blue Streak comes from blueberry and lemon. These ingredients are in the product. Their flavor is the flavor. There's no flavor compound approximating what an ingredient tastes like—the ingredient is there.
This is a more expensive and less consistent approach. Real fruit flavors vary. Working without flavor additives requires more precise sourcing and formulation. We do it because the alternative—using "natural flavor" to simulate the taste of real food while using less of it—is exactly what we built this brand to reject.
Honey is the first ingredient. The fruit is real. The label says what's in it.
Learn more about Rbel Bee Sweets
No natural flavors. No artificial flavors. No flavors at all. Just the actual ingredients.
FAQ: Natural Flavors
What does "natural flavor" mean on a food label?
Under FDA regulations (21 CFR § 101.22), natural flavor is a flavoring substance derived from a natural source—plant material, animal products, seafood, dairy, or fermentation products—that has been processed to produce a flavor effect. The source does not have to be disclosed. The processing can be substantial. The name on the label tells you nothing about what the specific source is or how it was processed. It means the starting material was natural. It does not mean the final flavoring compound resembles anything you'd find in a kitchen.
Can natural flavors contain animal products?
Yes. The FDA definition explicitly includes meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy as permissible sources for natural flavors. A natural flavor in a product that appears to be plant-based could legally be derived from an animal source. There is no requirement to distinguish plant-derived from animal-derived natural flavors on a standard label. Products certified vegan will typically verify that natural flavors in their formulas are plant-derived, but standard FDA labeling does not provide this assurance.
Is natural flavor the same as artificial flavor?
Sometimes, yes—chemically. The FDA distinction between natural and artificial flavor is about origin, not molecular structure. A flavor compound derived from a natural source and the same compound synthesized in a laboratory can be identical molecules. One gets labeled "natural flavor," the other "artificial flavor." The consumer perceives a meaningful difference because "natural" implies something it doesn't have to deliver. The functional effect and the chemical structure may be indistinguishable.
Are natural flavors safe to eat?
The FDA considers natural flavors used within permitted levels to be generally safe. The issue isn't that they're toxic—it's that the label doesn't tell you what they are, where they came from, or how they were processed. For most people, most of the time, eating natural flavors is not a health risk. The concern is transparency, not acute safety. If you have allergies, dietary restrictions, or want to know exactly what's in your food, "natural flavor" as a label provides no useful information.
Why do food companies use natural flavors?
Consistency, cost, and shelf life. Real ingredients taste different batch to batch. Engineered flavor compounds taste identical every time. Real fruit is expensive and perishable. A natural flavor approximating fruit taste is cheaper and shelf-stable. Companies also use natural flavors because the term tests well with consumers—it sounds clean. The combination of cost efficiency, consistency, and favorable label perception makes natural flavors standard practice across most of the packaged food industry.
What is castoreum and is it actually in food?
Castoreum is a secretion from beaver castor glands that has historically been used as a natural flavoring—it can produce a vanilla or raspberry-like flavor and is FDA-approved as a natural flavor. Its use in modern food products is rare due to cost and supply constraints, but it is technically permissible under the natural flavor definition and would appear simply as "natural flavor" on a label. It gets cited frequently in conversations about natural flavors because it's an effective illustration of how broad the definition actually is. The point isn't that your snack contains beaver secretions. The point is that the label wouldn't tell you if it did.
Does Rbel Bee use natural flavors?
No. Rbel Bee fruit chews contain no natural flavors, no artificial flavors, and no flavoring compounds of any kind. The flavor in each product comes from the actual ingredients—tart cherry in Wild Child Cherry, pomegranate and Mexican vanilla and saffron in Poma Punch, blueberry and lemon in Blue Streak. The ingredient list says what's in it. That's the whole idea. Read about why we built it this way →
Could the FDA change the natural flavor rules?
Potentially. The current definition has been in place since 1977 and has faced increasing scrutiny as consumer interest in ingredient transparency has grown. The FDA has signaled interest in reviewing food additive regulations more broadly under ongoing "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) reform efforts. Some advocacy organizations have formally petitioned for more specific disclosure requirements for natural flavors. As of 2026, no rule change has been finalized, but the regulatory environment around food ingredient labeling is more active than it has been in decades. (Source: FDA GRAS Notice Inventory.)