Are there any benefits to artificial flavouring? They are cheaper than a natural product, but unfortunately, they are often less flavourful, and in some cases with proven health risks. Natural flavourings offer great flavour which is difficult to counter but can come with a higher price point.
Selecting food for your family – or even the family pet – can be a war zone when it comes to reading through an ingredient list. You often see the words “natural flavourings” and “artificial flavourings” in ingredient lists, but what do they actually mean, if anything?
Natural flavourings are obtained from plant or animal materials. Like vanilla from the pods or lemon oil from lemons. Their main appeal? They just are simply more natural, and with that respect to nature they also carry the idea of being better for you. Just because they are therefore counted as “natural”, does not mean that the flavourings cannot be very heavily processed or artificially synthesised – though there are some attempts to address this in law, specifically for past questions about what could legally count as a “strawberry flavour”.
Natural flavours vs artificial flavouring – Natural flavours are extracted from nature, artificial flavourings are created in a laboratory to be chemically identical. They tend to be more reliable, cost-effective and consistent than their natural alternatives. Manufacturers can benefit from this by being able to have longer shelf life, resulting in lower costs. To consumers, it may result in less expensive products but also an unfamiliar list of ingredients with long names.
Pros of natural flavourings:
Promoted as healthy and natural
Can offer unique, complex flavours. For Natural Flavourings, visit Foodie Flavours.
Cons of natural flavourings:
Can be expensive
Can be allergenic (refer to animal-sourced)
Not quite as “natural” as some might believe.
Pros of artificial flavourings:
Cost-effective
Consistent taste and quality
Longer shelf life
Cons of artificial flavourings:
Perceived as less healthy
Potentially allergenic for some
In the end, it comes down to what matters most for you – health, budget or living on the edge flavour wise!
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