What the heck are "artificial flavors?"

November 2, 2006 8:03 PM

What the heck are "artificial flavors"?

I've always thought it was strange that food companies were allowed to include "artificial flavors" as an ingredient on their packages. It seems like this catch all phrase for "and other non-specific ingredients."

What the heck are in these "artificial flavors" and is there anything that I should be worried about consuming?

posted by lucidreamstate to food & drink (11 comments total)

They're chemical flavorings that are artificially synthesized in a laboratory. A natural flavoring is the same chemical, just obtained from natural sources instead of synthesized. (Artificial flavors are actually generally better, since they don't contain contaminants or toxic leaching compounds.)

They're allowed because they're regulated by the FDA.
posted by raf at 8:10 PM on November 2, 2006

This article, by Eric Schlosser of Fast Food Nation fame, will tell you more about artificial flavors than you will ever want to know.
posted by Brian James at 8:18 PM on November 2, 2006

I just read about this in the book Fast Food Nation. It describes it in detail on pages 119-131. If you're ever in a bookstore or library, read it.
posted by daninnj at 8:19 PM on November 2, 2006

Or read the article above. Haha...
posted by daninnj at 8:19 PM on November 2, 2006

Most artificial flavors are organic compounds and a great deal of them are in the ester family. Many of the everyday flavorings we use have been around for decades. Amyl acetate is the name for the dominant flavor from bananas. It can be obtained naturally from bananas or synthesized in a lab. Guess which one is cheaper. However, from a molecular standpoint the artificial and natural amyl acetates are exactly the same.

I wouldn't worry too much about artificial flavors making you sick. They are mostly used in very small quantities. Some of the flavorings that make up common TV dinners can add taste to an entire swimming pool with only a few drops.

Futher reading:
How do artificial flavors work?
The Science in Artificial Flavor Creation
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Artificial Flavors
Flavor creation
posted by Alison at 8:30 PM on November 2, 2006 [1 favorite]

Interesting factoid: Imitation vanilla is actually a byproduct of paper manufacture.

What I want to know is who was making paper and decided that one of the resultant materials looked tasty enough to try to eat?
posted by quin at 8:40 PM on November 2, 2006

Ever had Jelly Belly jelly beans? Ever wonder how in the hell they can make jelly beans that taste like cotton candy, buttered popcorn, peanut butter, and other weird shit? Yeah, there you go.
posted by Rhomboid at 8:44 PM on November 2, 2006

Vanillin.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:55 PM on November 2, 2006

Brian James' article is the one I would have sent you to.

I did find this one in a quick search that says this:

the definition of “natural flavor” under the Code of Federal Regulations is: “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” (21CFR101.22). Any other added flavor therefore is artificial.

posted by ontic at 9:47 PM on November 2, 2006

edible perfume, basically
posted by macinchik at 12:21 AM on November 3, 2006

Generally, artificial flavors are chemicals that are synthesized, and natural flavors are extracted from organic things. Sometimes, the artificial flavors are a better/more efficient way to get the exact same chemical, either because synthesis produces a more pure chemical, or doesn't require the use of other horrible chemicals in the extraction process.
posted by jimfl at 6:54 AM on November 3, 2006