What Are "Natural Flavors"? What They Mean on a Label

Natural flavors: the label facts

What are natural flavors?

Natural flavors are a legal category, not a single ingredient. FDA's definition in 21 CFR 101.22(a)(3) covers "the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis" made from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products of these. The key test is the last line of the rule: the ingredient's "significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

So natural describes the source. It doesn't mean minimally processed, and it doesn't tell you which food the flavor came from. That's the same idea behind FDA's general policy on the word "natural" on food labels: FDA has not defined it through rulemaking, its longstanding policy wasn't meant to address production or processing methods, and FDA didn't consider whether the term should describe any nutritional or health benefit.

What are natural flavors made of?

Anything on that source list, processed by one of those methods. A lemon flavor might be an oil pressed from peel. A vanilla flavor might be an extract. A savory flavor might come from roasting or from enzymes breaking down a food. The rule also pulls in specific plant extracts and essential oils that FDA lists elsewhere in its regulations, including 21 CFR 182.10, 182.20, 182.40 and 182.50, part 184, and 172.510.

A finished flavor can also carry tiny amounts of other substances. FDA exempts incidental additives from the ingredient list when they are present at insignificant levels and have no technical or functional effect in the finished food (21 CFR 101.100(a)(3)). That's one reason a single line on a label can stand for more than one compound.

Natural flavors vs artificial flavors

The difference is where the flavor comes from, not what it tastes like. Under 21 CFR 101.22(a)(1), an artificial flavor is any substance used to add flavor that is not derived from those natural sources. Both can be declared simply as "natural flavor" or "artificial flavor" in the ingredient list, without naming the specific compounds (21 CFR 101.22(h)(1)).

There are limits on what can hide behind the word flavor:

• Onion, garlic and celery powder and similar foods must be listed by their common names, not as flavor (101.22(h)(3)).
• Natural flavor vs MSG: added monosodium glutamate must be listed as "monosodium glutamate" (101.22(h)(5)). FDA says MSG can't be listed as "spices and flavoring."
• Protein hydrolysates, such as hydrolyzed soy protein, can't be declared as "flavor" or "natural flavor." They need their specific name (101.22(h)(7)). FDA also says foods with ingredients like hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast or yeast extract can't claim "No MSG" or "No added MSG."

What "natural strawberry flavored" and "with other natural flavors" mean

The front of the pack follows its own rules, in 21 CFR 101.22(i):

• "Strawberry shortcake" on its own signals the food contains enough of the real ingredient to carry the flavor.
• "Strawberry flavored" or "natural strawberry flavored" means there is too little of the real food, or none, and the flavor comes from a natural strawberry flavor.
• "With other natural flavor" means the flavor comes partly from the named food and partly from other natural flavors that simulate it.
• "Artificially flavored" or "artificial vanilla" means artificial flavor is part of the characterizing flavor. If none of a natural flavor comes from the named food, the label has to name the flavor after its real source or call the food artificially flavored.

Natural flavors and allergens, gluten and vegan diets

Allergens. The nine major food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. FDA's 2023 compliance policy says a flavor that contains a major allergen must declare it, for example "natural flavor (milk)," or the allergen must appear in a "Contains" statement. FDA's 2025 allergen guidance gives the example of "natural peanut flavor": the label still has to name peanuts. Sesame inside "spice" has to be named the same way.

Gluten. Wheat must be declared, but barley and rye aren't major allergens, so "natural flavor" alone can't tell you a flavor is gluten free. The clearer signal is a gluten-free claim, which under 21 CFR 101.91 requires less than 20 parts per million gluten in the food.

Vegan. Natural flavors can come from meat, seafood, poultry, eggs or dairy. Milk and eggs would have to be declared, but meat-derived flavors wouldn't appear in an allergen statement. If you avoid animal products, a vegan certification or a note from the brand is the only sure answer.

Is natural flavor made from beavers? The castoreum question

A common follow-up is whether natural flavor can come from beavers. Castoreum, an extract from the castor sacs of beavers, is listed in 21 CFR 182.50, one of the lists the natural flavor definition points to. A 2007 safety review in the International Journal of Toxicology says it has been used as a flavor ingredient for at least 80 years and is regarded as GRAS by FEMA and FDA. So it can legally sit under "natural flavor." The label won't tell you whether a given product uses it, and we didn't find good public data on how often it's used today, so we won't guess.

Why natural flavors are in the news: FDA's GRAS proposal

Many flavor ingredients are used under the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) provision. On August 11, 2026, FDA proposed a rule that would make GRAS notification mandatory instead of voluntary, including a one-year path for substances already on the market. In its paperwork estimate, FDA counts about 1,740 GRAS substances concluded by association expert panels, a group that includes substances evaluated by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association. Comments are open until December 9, 2026.

At an October 15 FDA webinar on the proposal, FDA's Kristi Muldoon Jacobs said, "GRAS is about the safety of a substance under its particular conditions of use," and "GRAS is not a general or inherent property of a substance," according to NutraIngredients. The rule is a proposal, so nothing on your label changes yet.

Natural flavors in protein bars: what 832 labels show

We pulled protein bar listings from USDA FoodData Central on October 26, 2026: the first 1,000 branded results for "protein bar," kept the 832 unique UPCs with "protein bar" in the name and an ingredient list, from 128 brand owners. Here's what the ingredient lists said:

Where a natural flavor appeared, it was the median 8th ingredient in a median 16-ingredient list, and 65.4% of the time it sat in the back half. Ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance by weight (21 CFR 101.4), so in most bars it's a small part of the recipe. Rows can overlap, since some bars list more than one flavor.

The limits: this is a sample, not every bar sold. Most of these listings were published to FoodData Central between 2021 and 2023, so some recipes may have changed since.

How to read natural flavors on a protein bar label

1. Check the Contains line. Any of the nine major allergens in a flavor must be declared there or next to the flavor.
2. Read the front-of-pack wording. "Flavored" and "with other natural flavors" tell you how much of the named food is really in it.
3. Look at the position. A flavor near the end of the list is a small share by weight.
4. Look for certifications if you need gluten free, vegan or kosher, because "natural flavor" doesn't answer those on its own.
5. Ask the brand. It's the only way to learn the actual source of a generic natural flavor.

If you're comparing snacks for a long shift, see our key ingredients in protein bars guide, how the protein daily value vs grams works on a label, how much caffeine is in a protein bar, and our clean protein bar guide.

Our recommendation: STAT Energy Bar

STAT Energy Bar: 100 mg caffeine, 16-19 g protein, 0 g added sugar.

If you read labels before you eat, our pick is STAT Energy Bar. It has 100mg of caffeine, about what's in a strong cup of coffee, 16 to 19g of protein and 0g added sugar. Like most bars in our count, every STAT flavor lists Natural Flavors. For a real-world answer to what are natural flavors doing in a protein bar, our What's Inside page lists every ingredient by flavor. See every number on our STAT by the numbers page, or read more about our caffeinated protein bars.

What is STAT Energy Bar made for?

We've all been there: it's hour ten of a twelve, day or night, the coffee went cold an hour ago, and the next page could come any second. It might be a nurse, a resident, a first responder, or anyone pulling a long shift. That's the moment STAT Energy Bar was made for, when seconds count. Each bar has 100mg of caffeine for energy, power and alertness, about what's in a strong cup of coffee, plus 16 to 19g of protein and 0g added sugar. It's caffeine and protein you can eat in two minutes, then get right back to work. Most protein bars have no caffeine at all, but STAT has 100mg, along with maca, ashwagandha, cordyceps and reishi across the three flavors. If you like chocolate, the Chocolate bar uses coffee fruit extract. If you're a coffee person, Peanut Butter Espresso and Salted Caramel Coffee use real coffee plus coffee fruit extract. Keep a few in your bag for the shifts you can't stop for a meal, or browse our caffeine bars.

If you like to rotate flavors, pick up the Variety, 3 Boxes bundle, or shop all three flavors.

Natural flavors FAQ

What are natural flavors made of?

Under 21 CFR 101.22, a natural flavor is an essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis that comes from a spice, fruit, vegetable, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy, or fermentation products of these. Its main job in the food has to be flavor, not nutrition.

What is the difference between natural and artificial flavors?

The source. FDA defines an artificial flavor as any substance used to add flavor that is not derived from the food and plant sources listed in the natural flavor definition. The word natural tells you where the flavor came from. It doesn't tell you how much processing went into it.

Are natural flavors bad for you?

The label can't answer that on its own, because natural flavor is a category, not one ingredient. Flavor ingredients fall under the same rules as other food substances: each use is either approved by FDA as a food additive or treated as generally recognized as safe (GRAS). FDA proposed in August 2026 to make GRAS notification mandatory, with comments open until December 9, 2026.

Is natural flavor made from beavers?

It can be, legally. Castoreum, an extract from beaver castor sacs, is listed in 21 CFR 182.50, and a 2007 safety review says it has been used as a flavor ingredient for at least 80 years. The label alone won't tell you whether a given natural flavor contains it. Ask the brand if you want to know.

Are natural flavors vegan?

Not always. The FDA definition lets natural flavors come from meat, seafood, poultry, eggs and dairy as well as plants. Milk and egg must be declared if they're in a flavor, but meat or castoreum wouldn't show up in an allergen statement. If it matters to you, look for a vegan certification or ask the brand.

Are natural flavors gluten free?

You can't tell from the words natural flavor alone. Wheat is a major allergen, so wheat in a flavor must be declared, but barley and rye are not on the allergen list. A gluten-free label claim is the clearer check: under 21 CFR 101.91 it requires less than 20 parts per million gluten in the food.

What does "with other natural flavors" mean?

It means the named flavor comes partly from the food on the front of the pack and partly from other natural sources that simulate it. If none of the flavor comes from the named food, FDA rules require wording like "artificially flavored" or naming the flavor after its real source instead.

Why do protein bars have natural flavors?

Mostly for taste. In our count of 832 protein bar listings in USDA FoodData Central, 84.0% listed a natural flavor in some form. Where it appeared, it was usually in the back half of the ingredient list, and ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so it is typically a small part of the bar.

References

• 21 CFR 101.22, Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives. eCFR
• 21 CFR 101.4, Food; designation of ingredients. eCFR
• 21 CFR 101.91, Gluten-free labeling of food. eCFR
• FDA. Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the FD&C Act (Edition 5), January 2025. fda.gov
• FDA. Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 555.250, Major Food Allergen Labeling and Cross-contact, May 2023. fda.gov
• FDA. Questions and Answers on Monosodium glutamate (MSG). fda.gov
• FDA. Use of the Term Natural on Food Labeling. fda.gov
• FDA. Substances Generally Recognized as Safe, proposed rule, 91 FR 51834, August 11, 2026. Federal Register
• NutraIngredients. FDA cites GRAS oversight gaps in push for mandatory notifications, requests comments, October 16, 2026. nutraingredients.com
• Burdock GA. Safety assessment of castoreum extract as a food ingredient. Int J Toxicol. 2007;26(1):51-55. PubMed
• USDA FoodData Central, branded foods search for "protein bar," accessed October 26, 2026. fdc.nal.usda.gov
• STAT Nutrition Facts panels and ingredient lists. statbar.com/stat-by-the-numbers