FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK
FACTSHEET
Flavours
and Flavour Enhancers: natural or artificial, what's the difference?
Summary
·
under new labelling regulations, it
is not possible to distinguish between artificial and natural flavours
·
this doesn’t matter because they’re
all made of the same chemicals in giant chemical factories and chemically there
is little difference
·
the problem with adding flavours
made in factories – whether natural or artificial - is the size of the dose
because it is possible to get much higher doses than you would in nature
·
flavour additives are not the same
as flavour enhancers
·
children and adults who are affected
by additives such as artificial colours and natural chemicals such as
salicylates are likely to be affected by high doses of artificial flavours. You
can choose to avoid all strong flavours, or choose to avoid all added flavours
except vanilla.
Introduction
Consumers who read food labels are often surprised to see that there are
added ‘flavours’ in most products. If, like many people, you think natural
flavours are good and artificial flavours are bad, you need to know more about
these additives.
Why flavours are added to
processed foods
Flavours are used in processed food because overprocessing destroys
flavour. When you drink freshly made juice, it needs no added flavours. But by
the time apple juice, for example, has been centrifuged, pasteurised, filtered,
clarified and cold-stabilised, much of the original flavour has been lost.
The labelling rules have
changed
Until recently, Australian food labels followed the European tradition
of describing flavours as natural, artificial or nature identical. For example,
a strawberry-flavoured yoghurt could contain • natural flavouring substances
whether derived from strawberries or not • a nature identical flavouring
substance than has been synthesised, but is chemically identical to a substance
found in nature, or • an artificial flavour, that has been synthesised and has
not yet been identified in any natural product. While you can still find these
terms on some product labels in Australian supermarkets, the labelling
regulations changed in 2002, so technically, the term ‘natural flavours’ does
not now comply with the code.
Flavours are secret
Under the new regulations, flavours must be declared in the ingredient
list as either ‘flavour’ or ‘flavouring’, or a specific name or description of
the flavouring such as ‘vanilla’. There’s no mention of natural or artificial,
and although the food manufacturers know whether they are using artificial
flavouring substances, the consumer does not. Should you be concerned?
The fact is that most processed foods contain flavouring additives that
have been made in giant chemical factories. There are more than two thousand
approved flavouring chemicals that don’t have to be described on food labels
because they are considered to be closely guarded trade secrets. When the word ‘flavours’
appears on an ingredient list, it means those flavours have been man-made in a
laboratory even if this could be described as natural by the definition above.
Natural flavours, nature identical flavours and artificial flavours could
contain exactly the same chemicals although consumers can't tell what's in them
because of the secrecy surrounding flavour formulas. As author Eric Schlosser
says in his bestselling book Fast Food Nation: ‘Natural and artificial flavours
are now manufactured at the same chemical plants, places that few people would
associate with Mother Nature. Calling any of these flavours “natural” requires
a flexible attitude toward the English language and a fair amount of irony.’
If you studied high school chemistry, you probably made artificial
banana flavour as part of the curriculum. It’s done by combining amyl alcohol
and acetic acid in the laboratory using sulphuric acid as a catalyst and not a
banana in sight. You will probably remember the result, a chemical called amyl
acetate that smells surprisingly like ripe bananas - because it’s the dominant
flavour chemical in bananas. If a solvent is used to extract this chemical from
bananas, the resulting amyl acetate is then regarded as a natural flavour,
despite being the same chemical as the amyl acetate made without bananas. Other
flavour chemicals include ethyl propionate for a fruity flavour, cinnamic
aldehyde for cinnamon, diacetyl for butter (see box) and there are several
thousand more.
|
Butter flavour and popcorn
lung disease The butter flavour diacetyl – used in products such as microwave
popcorn - has been linked to a rare and deadly respiratory disease known as
Popcorn Workers Lung. Its victims include young, healthy, non-smoking
flavouring industry workers who have been exposed to vapours when diacetyl is
heated. So far three workers have died, and many are awaiting lung
transplants. It has been known since 1989 that diacetyl vapour is irritating
to throat and lungs and laboratory studies in the 1990s showed that diacetyl
vapours were highly toxic to laboratory rats, with effects likened to
‘inhaling acid’ by scientists. At this stage, no one knows whether consumers
exposed to diacetyl fumes in their own homes are at risk. Dr David Michaels,
who heads the George Washington University School of Public Health's Project
on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy, says that diacetyl was approved
for food use based on studies that examined consumption, not inhalation.
"There is compelling evidence that breathing diacetyl vapors causes lung
disease and there is no evidence of a safe exposure level,” says Michaels,
who has asked the Food and Drug Administration to remove diacetyl from the
list of safe additives. |
Flavours and smells are irretrievably linked because flavours are recognised
mainly through the sense of smell. That is why you may notice that your food
loses its flavour when you have a cold. You can test this for yourself by
holding your nose while consuming a food with a strong aroma such as chocolate
or coffee - you will have trouble identifying the characteristic chocolate or
coffee flavour, although you can still distinguish the basic flavour, such as
sweet, sour, salty or bitter. Up to ninety per cent of your perception of taste
actually comes from your sense of smell, so the flavour of a food can easily be
changed by keeping the same base flavour while altering the aroma, a technique
often used in processed foods. There can be hundreds of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) - chemicals that are in a gaseous state at room temperature -
involved in a complex aroma. The giant chemical companies that make flavour
additives generally also make fragrances for perfumes, personal care and
household cleaning products.
Why flavours can affect your
health
The first step to understanding how flavour and fragrance additives can
affect your health is to realise that all foods consist of natural chemicals.
For example, an apple contains over 1000 natural flavouring chemicals, some of
which are known to cause health problems for some people in big enough doses.
Eating is a chemical balancing act. We have to balance the benefits of
nutrients such as vitamins and minerals against the side effects of natural
pesticides and other chemicals that may contribute to various conditions.
According to Schlosser, a typical artificial strawberry flavour – in
foods such as yoghurts - will probably contain such chemicals as amyl acetate,
amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl
isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac
essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amyl ketone,
ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl haptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl
lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl
valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphrenyl-2-butanone, alpha-ionone, isobutyl
anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol,
4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate,
methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint
essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter,
phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, gamma-undecalactone, vanillin and solvent.
Chemically, there isn’t actually much difference between the list of chemicals
in a real strawberry or in an artificial strawberry flavour.
It’s the size of the dose
that matters
The problem for the consumer is not how the flavour additive is made,
but the size of the dose consumed. Because man-made flavours such as artificial
strawberry are so cheap, it is easy to add a lot more than you would ever eat
in one serve of a natural food. While few people are affected by the food
chemicals in one strawberry, when consumers - especially children - consume
concentrated doses of some of the chemicals above, and particularly if they
consume them many times every day in different foods, they can be affected in a
variety of ways.
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Effects
induced by additives Health • headaches or migraines • rashes (hives, eczema, dermatitis, other itchy rashes) • stomach aches, bloating, reflux, constipation, bedwetting, sneaky
poos • asthma, frequent cough, stuffy or runny nose • frequent colds, flu, ear infections • joint pains, swelling of the joints • heart palpitations, fast heart beat, pseudo heart attack Behaviour • sleep disturbance (difficulty falling asleep, frequent night waking,
night terrors, restless legs) • restlessness (loud voice, irritable, easily distracted, demanding,
easily bored) • irritability (touchy or easily annoyed, loses temper, throws
tantrums) • oppositional defiance (temper outbursts, often says no, refuses
requests, defies rules, angry) • inattention (forgetful, disorganised, foggy brain, dreamy) • anxiety (lethargic, depressed, panic attacks) • unhappiness (grizzly, miserable, cries frequently) |
Are you sensitive to
salicylates?
Among the flavours in strawberries you can see a chemical called methyl
salicylate. Salicylates - in most fruit, some vegetables, herbs, spices and
other plant products - are the some of the chemicals most likely to affect
sensitive consumers. When the use of man-made flavour additives became
widespread in the 1960s due to the burgeoning popularity of processed food,
Californian allergist Dr Benjamin Feingold discovered that ‘allergy’ symptoms
caused by these additives were actually symptoms of salicylate sensitivity.
Then chief of the Allergy Department at the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Dr
Feingold was the first to report adverse health effects of these additives in a
medical journal. In his article entitled ‘Recognition of food additives as a
cause of symptoms of allergy’, he included the 1610 synthetic flavours and 502
natural flavours listed at that time.
In 1985, a comprehensive analysis of the salicylate contents of foods
showed that there were salicylates in even more foods than Dr Feingold realised
(see box). In general, the stronger the flavour of a food, the higher the
salicylates. Flavourings such as vanilla are eaten in much smaller quantities
than whole foods, so the amount of salicylates in vanilla flavour as eaten in a
product such as icecream is very low, and much safer for some consumers than a
strong fruit, mint, spicy or herbal flavour.
|
Salicylate
Contents of Foods Food mg
salicylate per 100gm Worcestershire Sauce 64.3 Mixed herbs, dry 55.6 Cinnamon powder 15.2 Peppermints, range up to 7.6 Tomato sauce, range up to 2.5 Orange 2.4 Vanilla essence 1.4 Strawberries 1.4 Pears, peeled 0.0 Source: A. Swain et al, J Am Diet Assoc, 1985, 85(8):950-960 |
Parents are most likely to see the effects of added flavours from children’s
syrup medications, which can contain extremely high levels of flavouring. One
mother described how her normally additive free two-year-old became
‘argumentative, rude, defiant, violent, uncontrollable, and began waking in the
night for up to 3 hours’ while taking a course of antibiotic syrup for
tonsillitis. Another recalled the effect of a colour free flavoured pain
reliever on her toddler: ‘he became incredibly agitated, head banging,
aggressive, thrashing ... inconsolable ... we rushed to the doctor (because we
were to hop on an international flight the next day!) and he sent us off for
urgent blood and urine tests. While waiting for the tests about 3 hours later
my son suddenly regained his composure and became calm.’
Most people don’t realise they
are affected because of the 30 minute rule
Confusion about the effects of food additives is largely due to the time
delay before effects become obvious. Unlike peanut and other true food protein
allergies which can occur within minutes, reactions to food chemicals can occur
up to three days later. Salicylate research has shown that consumers are
unlikely to identify the cause of their symptoms unless the reaction occurs
within 30 minutes.
|
Additives
at a glance There are currently over 2000 flavour additives and 400 additives that
must be described by name or number on labels. Of the non-flavour additives,
about 60 have been linked to health and behavioural effects. People vary in
their sensitivity and although colours are often associated with irritability,
sulphites with asthma, and ribonucleotides with rash, any additive can be
associated with any side effect. Flavours • over 2000 secret man-made flavour additives that don’t have to be
identified by name or number Flavour
enhancers • glutamates (620-625; MSG is 621) • nucleotides (627 disodium guanylate, 631 disodium inosinate, 635
ribonucleotides) • HVP, HPP and other concentrated natural forms of glutamates Colours • artificial colours and natural colour annatto (160b). Preservatives • sorbates (200-203), benzoates (210-213), sulphites (220-228),
propionates (280-282), nitrates and nitrites (249-252) Synthetic
antioxidants • antioxidants 310-312 (gallates), antioxidants 319-321 (TBHQ, BHA,
BHT) |
Flavour enhancers are not the
same as flavours
Do not confuse added flavours with added flavour enhancers, another
group of chemicals that occur naturally but can be concentrated or created by
processing. Glutamates are often found
in tasty foods but can be added in a concentrated form as MSG (monosodium
glutamate), see box. As with salicylates or any other chemicals, the more you
eat, the more likely you are to be affected. A few people are not affected at
all, others are only affected when they eat extremely high doses, and others are
so sensitive they will be affected even by small amounts. As a concentrate, MSG
can easily be added to any foods in much greater quantities than in nature. A
study of 59 normal volunteers found all except one reacted to MSG added to
home-made chicken soup, with the most sensitive to the smallest amount (3
grams) and most subjects reacting to higher doses. Although the doses of
glutamates in natural foods are tiny compared to added MSG, some sensitive
consumers are affected by them.
|
Glutamate
Contents of Foods Food portion
size mg glutamate per serve Chinese soup 1
bowl 5000.00 Tomato juice 1
cup 0.83
Mushrooms 1/4
cup 0.09 Parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp 0.05 Sources: H. Schaumberg et al, Science, 1969, 163;826-82, U.S. Food and
Drug Administration |
If you’ve ever wondered how manufacturers can say ‘no artificial colours
or flavours’ on products such as flavoured noodles which contain MSG (listed as
flavour enhancer 621), the answer is that ‘flavours’ and ‘flavour enhancers’
are different classes of additives according to food regulators, flavours being
‘intense preparations’ added to impart taste and/or odour, whereas a flavour
enhancer enhances the existing taste.
MSG (monosodium glutamate) was the first of the flavour enhancers. It
was originally developed from a kombu seaweed extract by a Japanese scientist
in the early 1900s and launched in the
Consumers are frequently confused because manufacturers can hide sources
of MSG in other ingredients. For instance, all the following ingredients may
contain high levels of glutamates which don’t appear as MSG on the label: hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP), vegetable
protein extract (derived from wheat, soy beans or other vegetables), hydrolysed plant protein (HPP), yeast extract,
vegetable extract, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and soy extract. There are
many ways of describing these on a label. If a delicious ‘all natural’ spread,
sauce, stock or seasoning seems to be made largely from soy bean, wheat or
vegetable protein of any description, you would have to suspect that it has
been broken down with acid in a laboratory to create free glutamates.
The new flavour enhancers
In the 1990s, a new set of flavour-enhancing chemicals called
nucleotides were introduced. These additives (disodium guanylate 627, disodium
inosinate 631, and ribonucleotides 635, a combination of the previous two) were
developed to boost the flavour enhancing effects of MSG by up to 15 times and,
like MSG, are made in giant factories where they are synthesised from yeasts
and regarded as natural. They can appear
in products labeled “No MSG” although usually there is some natural form of MSG
such as yeast extract present. Since the introduction of nucleotide flavour enhancers,
the Food intolerance Network has received more adverse consumer reports about
these additives than any other, with some consumers complaining about ‘years of
hell’. Some people who have tolerated moderate amounts of MSG all their lives
can have dramatic reactions to ribonucleotides, with a variety of symptoms from
itchy skin rashes (Ribo Rash), swelling of the lips, tongue or eyes, anxiety,
heart palpitations, panic attacks, headaches, heartburn or muscle spasms to
sleep disturbance or behavioural disturbance in children. Effects can become
apparent any time from within minutes to 48 hours later several days later and
can last for up for a week or more, sometimes coming and going during that
time.
The 30 minute rule applies. Consumers who have a reaction soon after
eating are more likely to work out what is affecting them. A woman who avoided
MSG because of irritable bowel symptoms wrote: ‘I found some corn chips that
advertised “No MSG” and bought them a few times before connecting them with a
very uncomfortable feeling of restlessness, agitation and panic, heart
palpitations, hot flushes and a "buzzing" sensation; I thought I was
having a panic attack. Since recognising
the link [with nucleotide flavour enhancers] I bought the chips once more to
test the idea that this was the cause; after about 5 chips I started to feel
the ‘buzzing’ and threw the rest of the packet away.’
Because of the delayed onset, some consumers have suffered from
distressing symptoms for up to ten years before discovering the cause of their
problems. For example, a dose of 635 in soup for Friday lunch can result in
symptoms at
Who should avoid flavour
additives?
When processed food became a growth industry in the 1960s artificial
flavours were widely used, but in the last twenty years - due to the consumer perception
that natural flavours are healthier - there has been a move towards man-made
natural flavours. As with many other industrial chemicals, most flavour
additives have never been properly tested for their effects on humans and fall
into the category of GRAS (‘generally recognised as safe’). A document from the
food industry leaked to the Today Tonight TV show in
As we have seen, there is no significant difference between many
artificial flavours and their natural counterparts: it is the size of the dose
that can cause problems. Some consumers are more sensitive than others. Some
will not be affected at all; some will be affected only by large doses of food
chemicals such as salicylates in strawberry flavoured sweets or medication, and
those who are more sensitive will be affected when, for example, strawberries
are concentrated in products such as strawberry yoghurt.
It is possible to avoid added flavours and flavour enhancers by avoiding
highly processed foods. To stick with the doses provided in nature, you can add
fresh strawberries to plain yoghurt or choose products with low or no flavours.
Organic products will be some of the safest. For example, yoghurts are more
likely to contain only real fruit as flavouring or will often specify ‘vanilla’
as the only flavouring additive. Organic chocolate tastes quite different from highly
flavoured supermarket lines. If ‘flavour’ is listed, you are likely to find it
refers to vanilla or essential orange oil. There are some people for whom even
that will be too much. Children and adults who are sensitive to the smallest
amounts of food chemicals - including those in unprocessed natural foods - will
feel better if they avoid the higher salicylate fruit like oranges and stick to
lower salicylate fruit such as pears.
If you have ever seen an obvious reaction to any additives or foods, even
once, it is worth learning more about food intolerance. Whatever you see is
usually just the tip of the iceberg. The effects of natural food chemicals can
creep up slowly and leave you wondering why your child isn’t doing as well as
you expected, or why you rarely feel as healthy as you should. Although
children are the most vulnerable, adults can be affected too.
More information
·
More about food intolerance Allergy or intolerance Additives
to avoid Salicylates
·
There's a brilliant chapter about flavour
and fragrance factories in Fast Food
Nation: what the all-American meal is doing to the world by Eric Schlosser,
Penguin, 2002.
·
The regulations concerning flavours
and flavour enhancers: www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/flavourings_user_guide_0802.pdf
·
The effects of natural food
chemicals in The Failsafe Cookbook by Sue
Dengate, Random House, new edition 2007
·
First to alert parents to the
dangers of flavours: Feingold B, Hyperkinesis and learning disabilities linked
to artificial food flavors and colors, Am J Nurs. 1975 ;75(5):797-803
The information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult
with your doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning dietary
investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food intolerance. You
can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians Association of
© Sue Dengate update September 2007
