What's really behind the ingredient 'Natural Flavors?'

What does the term "natural flavors" really mean? Could it be that the term "natural flavors" includes genetically modified, pesticide-laden food? There are also plenty of "food products" on the shelves that read "all natural" on the label, but they still contain large amounts of synthetic, laboratory-concocted food agents, many of which cause diseases and disorders. So how much more confusing can it get to simply shop for food that doesn't kill you slowly?

Exactly who makes the rules about terms put on labels? You better hope it doesn't all fall in the hands of the FDA, the same organization responsible for allowing genetically modified food to exist and be sold completely undercover ever since its inception. And does natural flavoring include the migraine headache monster monosodium glutamate? Also, can "natural flavoring" include bugs that are ground up to turn your food into some "happy" colors that help you celebrate some birthday or big event? One final question: could "natural flavoring" mean the food contains meat, even though it's a vegetarian or vegan product?

Maybe "natural flavoring" means it's not natural at all, instead, some food scientists were paid millions to create un-natural, immune system "crippling" foods, drinks, candies and medicine, just to make some extra money off of your sickness. There's a point where conspiracy theory bleeds over into the real world of unnatural food and medicine, where paranoia of cancer scams and epidemics spill over into actual statistics (United States), the ones which include every other man and every third women in the most "powerful country in the world."

MSG, Aspartame and bugs in your food are all considered "natural flavors" and "natural colors"
Do you know what autolyzed yeast extract really is? It's MSG. Do you know what hydrolyzed soy protein (also MSG) does to your body? Have you thought about eating some beetles lately, or do you only do that when you have cupcakes, popsicles, birthday cake and cough medicine?

Has your doctor discussed with you the fact that your ingestion of artificial sweeteners may be the main cause of your muscle aches, headaches, irritable bowels and even fibromyalgia? Do allopathic doctors, surgeons and oncologists in America have to take even one single class in college on nutrition? No, they don't. What about continuing education to keep up with the latest food toxins? Nope!

Who regulates whether or not something qualifies as a "natural flavor?" Who does inspections at factories and laboratories, or is that left up to the manufacturer, much like the way it's up to vaccine manufacturers to report adverse effects? When the police themselves are crooks, there's no "policing" of the crimes they are committing. In fact, the whole differentiation of GMO & artificial from Natural & Organic has become a murky mess. The line of distinction between foods labeled "all natural" and cancer causing food is not only blurred, it barely exists.

First of all, regulations for the word "natural" only apply to flavors; anywhere else you find it on food packaging means absolutely nothing regarding quality. Secondly, the FDA definition of "natural flavors" and "natural flavoring" allows for the substance to be extracted from plant or animal "matter." So when you buy something that's organic, vegetarian, or vegan, and it has "natural flavoring," you could be eating a pig, cow, turkey, chicken, or lamb which was shot up with growth hormones, fed GMO pesticide-laden corn and grain - probably mixed with other animals of it's same breed, then shot up with antibiotics due to infections and diseases from living in confined quarters on slats covered in feces.

Your enemy wears a friendly mask

Gary Reineccius, a professor in the Department of Food Science & Nutrition at the University of Minnesota has a tricky explanation for all you researchers. He convinces you to think more about the practical difference between "natural flavoring" and artificial flavoring, which is an angle that might make you think he's looking out for your best interest, but then he contends that the "flavorist" creating any artificial flavoring could never achieve the same "desired flavor," and therefore, if a consumer "purchases an apple beverage that contains an artificial flavor, he/she will ingest the same primary chemicals that he/she would take in if he/she had chosen a naturally flavored apple beverage. What a complete farce!

Of course, this makes no sense at all, but it's one of those resources out there to throw consumers off track who have the energy and the "gumption" to look up the difference online. Mr. Reineccius, the illustrious professor, goes on to tell you more lies. Next he informs you that, "Artificial flavorings are simpler in composition and potentially safer because only safety-tested components are utilized." Really, so where are all the great results from the GMO tests they've run on humans?

MSG is the grim reaper of food additives

Monosodium Glutamate is a neurotoxin that can be legally hidden from you and/or be labeled "natural flavors" in the ingredients list. MSG is not a natural flavor - in fact, it can cause brain lesions, neuro-endocrine disorders, and neurodegenerative disease in humans, but you won't hear any doctors of Western Medicine mentioning that at your next extreme migraine emergency visit. There are more than 25 names for MSG, so sometimes you find it spread out a little, just in case the manufacturer gets "checked out" by anyone other than the FDA.

The FDA does not require that any source of MSG be identified. This means that the FDA code does not require that "constituents" of an ingredient be disclosed to the consumer. Yet in hundreds of studies around the world, scientists are creating obese mice using MSG because it triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. This is what the FDA calls natural. There's even a name for the fat rodents that eat this "Natural Flavor" additive: they're called "MSG-Treated Rats."

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance. Since its introduction into the American food supply 50 years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to processed meals, soups, chips, and fast foods. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ehow.com/list_7409993_fda-regulations-natural-flavors.html

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5088008

http://www.scientificamerican.com

http://www.kisswebpage.com/msg/

Originally Posted On: http://www.naturalnews.com/036308_natural_flavors_MSG_aspartame.html#ixzz2X3CRNOuv

________________________

"Food Q&A: Just what is ‘natural’ flavoring?"

Q: Could you tell me the latest about "natural flavor," which now seems to be not just in savories, such as soups and salad dressings, but in everything from unsalted butter to organic yogurt? My understanding is that it is a sludge of beef byproduct, high in free glutamic acid, a cousin to MSG, and that it adds flavor — and perhaps a bit of a mad cow — to everything we eat.  I avoid it like the plague, but it's getting harder and harder.  Is it legal in organic products? Many thanks. 
— Mary R 
Burlington, NC

A: We’ve all heard of products being labeled “artificially flavored” or “naturally flavored,” but I’m glad you are  curious as to what exactly “natural flavor” means, because even with all the regulations and new organic certifications it’s a confusing and misleading mess!

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).

Certainly a mouthful!

In other words, it could include beef by-products, but not necessarily.

Any other added flavor therefore is artificial. (For the record, any monosodium glutamate, or MSG, used to flavor food must be declared on the label as such). Both artificial and natural flavors are made by “flavorists” in a laboratory by blending either “natural” chemicals or “synthetic” chemicals to create flavorings.

Gary Reineccius, a professor in the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, says that  the distinction between natural and artificial flavorings is based on the source of these often identical chemicals. In fact, he says, “artificial flavorings are simpler in composition and potentially safer because only safety-tested components are utilized.

“Another difference,” says Reineccius, “is cost. The search for natural sources of chemicals often requires that a manufacturer go to great lengths to obtain a given chemical…. This natural chemical is identical to the version made in an organic chemist’s laboratory, yet it is much more expensive than the synthetic alternative.”

End result: We shoppers wind up paying the price for natural flavorings, and according to Reineccius, these are in fact no better in quality, nor are they safer, than their cost-effective artificial counterparts.

So what about the flavorings used in organic foods? Foods certified by the National Organic Program (NOP) must be grown and processed using organic farming methods without synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers and sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Organic livestock cannot be fed antibiotics or growth hormones. The term "organic" is not synonymous with "natural." The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) defines “natural” as “a product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural.” Most foods labeled natural, including its flavorings, are not subject to government controls beyond the regulations and heath codes.

The NOP food labeling standards (effective October of 2002) include a National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Substances. This list has a section on allowed non-synthetic substances, some with restrictions (205.605(a)) for products labeled “organic” or “made with organic ingredients.” Four categories of organic labels were approved by the USDA, based on the percentage of organic content: 100% Organic, Organic, Made with Organic Ingredients, and Less than 70% Organic. Natural flavors, then, can be considered NOP compliant as “organic” when used under the 95% rule (flavorings constitute 5% or less of total ingredients and meet that meet the appropriate requirements) if their organic counterparts are not available. “Made with organic ingredients” can be used on any product with at least 70% organically produced ingredients.”

According to the National List, under section 7CFR205.605(a)(9), non-agricultural, non-organic substances are allowed as ingredients that can be labeled as “organic” or “made with organic,” including “flavors, non-synthetic sources only, and must not be produced using synthetic solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative.” Other non-synthetic ingredients allowed in this section include: acids such as microbiologically-produced citric acid, dairy cultures, certain enzymes and non-synthetic yeast that is not grown on petrochemical substrates and sulfite waste liquor.

So, the bottom line is that you have to read those labels carefully. “Natural” might not be so natural, and that even some organic foods might contain some of these “natural flavors.” There are still many grey areas for consumers and producers alike.

Research is being done and attempts are being made to produce more organic flavorings, but the process is slow. We as consumers need to be more aware of what ingredients go into our foods and also demand that the government sticks to its responsibility to regulate these ingredients and make sure that the information is discloses on EVERY label.

Originally Posted On/Continue reading: http://www.today.com/id/4676616/ns/today-today_food/t/food-qa-just-what-natural-flavoring/#.UccJ-2T5kkM