Natural Flavors Explained: From Fruit or From a Lab?
If you’ve ever wondered “what are natural flavors?” or “are natural flavors safe?”, you’re not alone. Ingredient labels can be confusing, especially when natural, artificial, and organic flavors are used interchangeably.
We're all about keeping things simple and transparent, so here’s what natural flavors in food really mean, how they compare to artificial flavors, and how we use them in our products.
What Are Natural Flavors and Where Do They Come From?
Natural flavors are derived from real sources found in nature, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. These ingredients are processed (like extracting or distilling) to isolate the compounds that create flavor.
Because fruit flavor can change depending on season and growing conditions, natural flavors help ensure products taste the same year-round.
Natural Flavors vs Artificial and Organic Flavors
If you were to open your pantry and explore the ingredients list on many of your favorite foods, you might notice three different classifications: artificial, natural, and organic flavors. The key difference is the source:
- Artificial flavors are created synthetically in a lab
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Natural flavors are derived from real plant or animal sources
- You may also see organic flavors (sometimes called "organic natural flavors"), which must meet stricter standards including being derived from certified organic sources and made without GMOs or synthetic additives.
For many families, the choice comes down to sourcing and personal preferences.
Why Are Natural Flavors Used in Food?
The simple answer is consistency. Real fruit can vary depending on seasonality, growing conditions, storage, and transport. Natural flavors help maintain consistent taste, support products made with real fruit, and enhance flavor without adding sugar.
How We Use Natural Flavors at DeeBee’s Organics
Real organic fruit is always the main ingredient in all our products. For the best and most consistent taste year-round, we use a tiny amount of natural flavors derived from real fruit which helps us keep the same delicious, fruit-forward experience in every tube.
SuperFruit Freezies:
- Made with certified organic flavors derived from real fruit
- Fully disclosed to organic certifiers to meet USDA Organic standards
SuperJuice Freezies and SuperJuice Prebiotic Juice Boxes:
- Made with organic-compliant natural flavors derived from real fruit
- Meet strict international standards, including European Union organic flavoring regulations
All of the natural flavors we use are:
- Derived from real fruit
- Made without GMOs, pesticides, or artificial preservatives
- Compliant with strict EU and USDA Organic standards
- Fully disclosed to our certifying bodies (Baystate and Ecogrouppo)
We can also confirm that our natural flavors, like all our ingredients, do not contain gluten or common allergens, are free from soy, corn, and canola, and do not include synthetic chemicals or hidden additives.
Want to Learn More?
Curious about ingredients? Learn about Artificial Food Dyes vs Natural Colors: Why We Choose Natural and Malic Acid: What It Is and Why We Don’t Use It.
Looking for Simple, Real Fruit Snacks?
We keep things simple with real organic fruit and ingredients you can feel good about.
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