Do Natural Flavors Have Any Calories?
Title 21, Section 101, part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations defines natural flavorings & flavors as follows: ” The term natural flavor or natural flavoring as the essential oil, oleo resin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysis, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymatic, 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.” It is unfortunate that under the current somewhat ambiguously stated regulations, food manufacturers can provide misleading information about a variety of products – including derivatives of meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and nuts – as of “natural flavor.” The word ‘Natural’ need not necessarily imply that it is a harmless food additive. The word “N
