Natural flavor is a term used to describe flavoring substances extracted from natural sources such as plants, animals, or microbiological origins. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), natural flavors are derived from substances like spices, fruits or fruit juices, vegetables or vegetable juices, edible yeast, herbs, bark, buds, roots, leaves, dairy products (including fermented products), meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs

. These flavors are created by extracting or distilling the essence of these natural materials through processes such as heating, roasting, fermentation, distillation, or enzyme-assisted extraction. For example, vanilla flavor may be extracted from vanilla beans using alcohol extraction, and fruit flavors may be obtained by pressing or enzyme extraction

. Natural flavors are used primarily to enhance or amplify the taste and aroma of food and beverages without adding significant nutritional value or calories. They help maintain consistent flavor profiles and improve the palatability of processed foods

. It is important to note that while natural flavors must come from natural sources, the extraction and processing methods can involve various techniques, and sometimes chemicals used in processing do not have to be disclosed on labels. Also, natural flavors that mimic a particular fruit or food flavor do not necessarily come from that specific fruit or food; for instance, a natural raspberry flavor might be derived from cedarwood oil because it contains similar aromatic compounds

. In summary, natural flavors are complex mixtures of flavoring substances derived from natural raw materials to enhance the sensory experience of food products, distinct from artificial flavors which are synthetically produced