What are natural flavors? What the label means, and what it leaves out
Where natural flavors is allowed
United States
PermittedDefined in 21 CFR 101.22(a)(3), and the ingredient list may simply say 'natural flavor' (or 'spice' or 'artificial flavor') without naming the components. Monosodium glutamate and protein hydrolysates used for flavor must be named, and the FDA has not adopted a formal definition of 'natural' for other label claims. [1, 2]
Canada
PermittedNatural flavours are allowed and may be shown at the end of the list of ingredients, and flavouring preparations are generally exempt from having their components listed. Allergens, gluten and added sulphites must still be declared even when they are part of a flavouring preparation. [3, 4]
European Union
Permitted with conditionsFlavourings may be used only if, on the available evidence, they pose no safety risk and do not mislead the consumer (Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008, Article 4). They are listed as 'flavouring(s)' or a more specific name, and 'natural' may be used only if the flavouring component comprises only natural flavouring substances and/or flavouring preparations; 'natural [food] flavouring' requires that the flavouring component come exclusively or at least 95% from the named source. [5, 6]
What is natural flavors?
The FDA's regulation defines a natural flavor as 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, and whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.
The EU uses different words for a similar idea: a 'natural flavouring substance' is a defined chemical substance with flavouring properties obtained by physical, enzymatic or microbiological processes from plant, animal or microbial material, and a 'natural flavouring' on a label may also include flavouring preparations made from such materials.
Why it's used, and where you'll find it
Natural flavors add or adjust taste and smell, from fruit notes in sparkling water to the savory edge in a soup. The US rule lets the ingredient list say 'spice', 'natural flavor', 'artificial flavor', or any combination of them, without naming each component.
What the research and regulators say
It is a category, so there is no single safety verdict
Because 'natural flavor' covers many different materials, regulators do not issue one verdict on it. The EU requires flavourings to pose no safety risk on the available evidence and sets maximum levels for certain substances that occur naturally in flavourings, so 'natural' does not mean unrestricted there. The US definition describes source and process; it is not a safety finding and does not compare natural with artificial flavors. [1, 5]
Allergens still have to be declared
US law says a flavoring that is, or bears or contains, a major food allergen is subject to allergen labeling even though flavors can otherwise be declared by a collective term. The FDA's list is milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. In the EU, an Annex II allergen used in making a food and still present must be indicated and emphasised, and Canada requires allergens, gluten and added sulphites to be declared. [4, 6, 7, 8]
What 'natural' does and does not guarantee
The FDA describes a longstanding policy that 'natural' means nothing artificial or synthetic has been added that would not normally be expected in the food, and says it did not consider whether 'natural' should describe any nutritional or other health benefit. The US definition also allows meat, seafood, poultry, eggs and dairy as sources. [1, 2]
Who might choose to avoid it
People with food allergies should read the allergen statement and contact the manufacturer if unsure, since the flavor's parts are not listed. People who avoid animal-derived ingredients may want to check, because the US definition allows animal sources.
How to spot it on a label
In the US, look for 'natural flavor', 'natural and artificial flavors', or a named flavor such as 'natural strawberry flavor'; 'spice' is a separate collective term. In Canada it is 'natural flavour', which may appear at the end of the list. In the EU the terms are 'flavouring', 'natural flavouring' or 'natural [source] flavouring'.
Check what's in your own productsScan a barcode or a label photo and Label X-Ray flags natural flavors and everything else in plain English, with your allergies checked automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What are natural flavors made of?
Many things: essential oils, extracts, distillates, protein hydrolysates and products of roasting, heating or enzymolysis from spices, fruit, vegetables, herbs, yeast, meat, seafood, eggs, dairy and similar sources, or their fermentation products. The label does not have to say which.
Are natural flavors bad for you?
There is no single answer, because it is a category rather than one substance. 'Natural' describes the source, not a health benefit, and because the label does not name the parts, someone avoiding a specific substance needs to contact the maker.
Why don't companies list what's in natural flavors?
US rules let the ingredient list say 'natural flavor' instead of naming each component, Canada generally exempts flavouring preparations from listing components, and EU flavourings are listed as 'flavouring(s)'. Allergens must still be declared.
Are natural flavors vegan?
Not necessarily. The US definition allows sources including meat, seafood, poultry, eggs and dairy products, so a natural flavor can come from animal materials. Check for vegan labeling or ask the manufacturer.
Do natural flavors have to be listed as allergens?
Yes. In the US a flavoring that contains a major food allergen is subject to allergen labeling, in the EU Annex II allergens must be indicated and emphasised, and Canada requires food allergens to be declared.
Is natural flavor the same as MSG?
No, they are separate label terms. In the US, monosodium glutamate used as an ingredient must be declared by name, and a protein hydrolysate used for its flavor effects cannot be declared simply as 'flavor' or 'natural flavor'.
Related ingredients
Sources
- eCFR (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations) — 21 CFR 101.22 - Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — Use of the Term Natural on Food Labeling (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Justice Laws Website (Government of Canada) — Food and Drug Regulations, section B.01.008.2 (list of ingredients) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency — List of ingredients and allergens on food labels (accessed 2026-09-19)
- EUR-Lex (European Union) — Consolidated text: Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties (version of 16.02.2026) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- EUR-Lex (European Union) — Consolidated text: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (version of 01.04.2025) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — Food Allergies (accessed 2026-09-19)
This page summarizes what regulators and published research say, as of the review date above. Rules and evidence change; check the linked sources for the latest. It is general information, not medical advice — talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.