🌱 What Are “Natural” Flavors?

Under FDA rules, “natural flavors” can be any flavoring substance derived from a plant or animal source—like fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat, dairy, eggs, or even fermented products. They’re used solely for flavor and don’t add nutritional value

---

🧪 How They’re Made

• Extracted via distillation, roasting, heating, enzymatic/fermentation processes
• Often heavily processed in a lab-like setting
• Can contain dozens or even hundreds of chemical compounds—including solvents, emulsifiers, and preservatives
• Chemically, natural and artificial flavors can be almost identical; the main difference is their source and labeling

---

🔍 Transparency Issues & Allergy Risk

• Manufacturers don’t disclose the specific ingredients within “natural flavor” blends.
• Unless they contain major allergens (nuts, dairy, etc.), details are hidden
• Some components—like solvents or preservatives—may still be synthetic or non-food grade

---

🗣️ What Others Say

From Reddit users looking to decode labels:

“A natural flavoring is defined by the FDA … derived from a spice, fruit… whose significant function is for flavoring rather than nutritional.”

“These mixtures can contain more than 100 different chemicals, including preservatives, solvents …”

---

✅ So, Is It Really “Natural”?

• They start from natural sources—but they’re processed extensively
• They often contain multiple added chemicals
• Labeling doesn’t reveal the full ingredient list
• Only safer choice for sensitive pets is whole-food ingredients, not flavor blends

👉 Final Take:
While technically derived from natural sources, “natural flavours” in dog and cat food are not the same as whole food ingredients, and they offer little transparency. If your goal is to feed your dog a clean, minimally processed diet, it’s best to choose products that list real, identifiable ingredients instead.

---