1)Flavors.

Natural Flavors.

The FDA definition appear at 21 US Code of Federal Regulations § 101.22 (a) (3) and reads as follows:

“The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means 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 spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable of vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bar, 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. Natural flavors include the natural essence of extractives obtained from plants listed in § 182.10, 182.20, 182.30, 182.40 and 182.50 and Part 184 of this chapter, and the substances listed in § 172.515 (b) and 182.60 of this chapter except where these are derived from natural sources.

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WONF (With Other Natural Flavors).

If the food/beverage contains the natural flavoring from the product it stimulates and other natural flavors which reinforces the characterizing flavor, the food may be label as With Other Natural Flavors (WONF).

Natural Identical.

These flavors are made of raw materials that are found in nature. The molecular structure of the materials used in Nature Identical is the same as Natural Flavors but they can be synthetically produced. This term is used more in Europe and the U.S. considers these flavors artificial and must be labeled as such.

 

Artificial Flavors.

These are compounds made up primarily of synthetic flavor materials and materials that cannot be found in Nature or Nature Identical but their use is permitted by law (GRAS).

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•GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe)

Simply these are raw materials for the Flavor Industry that are Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) and are the only material permitted for use.

Organic Flavors

There are currently three categories:

 

1) 100% Organic:

All ingredients must be certified 100% organic. Under this classification, there can be no non-organic ingredients in the product and all multi-ingredient ingredients must be certified at the 100% claim. All processing aids must at least be organic (95%). So, any FEMA GRAS approved ingredients must also be certified 100% organic. A flavor sold as “organic” must be 100% organic (the word “organic” without a percentage is implied to be 100% organic, just as a flavor sold without either of the designations “natural” or “artificial” must by law be 100% natural).

2) 95% Organic:

At least 95% of the ingredients must be organic and the remaining ingredients must be on the National Organic Program’s National List, 205.605 and 205.606. Any FEMA GRAS approved ingredients must either be organically certified, listed on the National List, or be classed as a natural flavor that meets the NOPs requirements.
 

3) 70% Organic:

At least 70% of the ingredients must be organic and the remaining ingredients must be on the NOPs National List, 205.605, or must be approved agricultural ingredients. Any FEMA GRAS approved ingredients must either be listed on the National List, 205.605, be classed as a natural flavor that meets the NOPs requirements, be organically certified, or be “agricultural” and produced without GMOs, irradiation or sewage sludge.