Research Paper; Natural Flavoring: Friend Or Foe?

So you're standing in the freezer section at the supermarket and you just can’t decide. Do I get the strawberry ice cream with natural flavoring and real strawberries, or do I go for the artificially flavored but low-fat ice cream? To many of us the healthier choice would be to go with the all-natural jam-packed strawberry dessert. Natural it is always better, but when it comes to flavorings choosing natural over artificial can be difficult. We rarely ever ask ourselves where this natural stuff comes from. Many people don’t know about the countless natural products that are regularly labeled and/or include the expression “natural flavors”, stating that there are other ingredients (so to speak) being added to these products. The label "natural flavors" is misleading. Food corporations are portraying the ingredients in their products as something they are not. “Natural flavorings” are everywhere, but if we take a closer look we can see that these flavorings are not as natural as we’ve been led to believe.

The natural flavorings that are used not only in our desserts but our everyday meals go through a very unnatural process before being added to our food. But what exactly is it, and where does it come from? The FDA’s definition of a natural flavor is, “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.” All this means is that the flavoring itself is not natural, but extracts from a natural source were used as the base of the flavoring.  Ultimately, it is all about the flavoring used in a particular product is “natural” because it originated from a natural source or material, but that does not include the chemicals that are added to these flavors after being extracted from organic ingredients. Many often think that the obvious way of avoiding the chemicals in flavorings is by buying organic – but don’t be fooled, there are countless organic food products that have “natural flavors” added to them, too. Natural flavors are prepared by merging “natural” chemicals to create a very distinct fruit and/or vegetable taste. Personally, I believed if something was naturally flavored chemicals, additives, and preservatives were left out, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. There are hundreds of components that are put into making these “natural flavorings”. It has been proven that there is little essential difference in the chemical arrangements of natural and artificial flavorings. A finding such as this only makes us question how natural flavorings do differ to those which are in fact artificial.

So long as consumers prefer to see the phrase “natural flavors” on a label, producers will continue to use those words whether or not their products are in fact natural. But what IS the difference between the all-natural and the potentially unhealthy flavorings? While both types of flavorings are made by trained professionals called “flavorists” who blends the appropriate amount of chemicals to get that very specific taste-bud-stimulating, there is a slight difference between the constructing of artificial and natural flavorings. Natural is said to be organic, but when it comes to flavorings in particular, that is not so true. Though artificial flavorings are simpler in composition and are likely to be more accurate, many times that is not so. What people do not know is that in spite of the sound of the expression “natural flavoring”, natural flavors are not any better for us than the artificial ones. Although many synthesized flavors are derived from petroleum, there are various flavors that are used to create artificial flavorings can be found in natural as well, which ultimately makes these specific flavors natural in their own way. The only important difference between artificial and natural flavorings that producers and consumers care about is the price.

 Though there are few food producers, like the NIRC (Natural Ingredient Resource Center) who do try to incorporate truth in the food labeling, the majority of producers are deliberately misleading their oh so loyal consumers. But can this be considered lying, or is it our own fault for misconceiving? The government plays a big role when it comes to giving food organizations a helping hand in deceiving people. Technically, the law doesn’t require corporations to make the ingredients in their flavorings known, so that these companies can maintain their “trade-secret” flavors used for their products. This only makes it easier for companies to hide the long list of chemicals that are incorporated when making a lot of “naturally flavored” food products. According to Heather B. of Health and Wellness, “The FDA doesn't require manufacturers to list color or flavor additives on ingredients left, as long as they are recognized as safe”. Something like this many seem small and insignificant to many, but if we look a little closer it is quite a big deal. Today, there are labeling laws that allow flavoring corporations to protect themselves by using unclear terms such as “natural flavors” and “artificial flavors” to categorize their ingredients. The only way consumers know what is in these foods being advertised as “natural”, is by the labels used to define the ingredients that are incorporated in the products. 

            In the end, it is impossible to tell from a label what is in natural flavors without the company specifying it on the label, or calling the company and finding out what the flavors are really made of. But let’s be honest, how many of us are going to set time aside to question the ingredients in our food? Very few. The differences between artificial and natural flavors are for the most part arbitrary. A product should not be advertised based more on how the flavor in it was made, rather than on what it actually contains.

Works Cited

B., Heather. "Artificial and Natural Flavorings: Avoid Them All!" Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. 15 May 2007. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/232164/artificial_and_natural_flavorings_avoid.html>.

Reineccius, Gary. "What Is the Difference between Artificial and Natural Flavors?: Scientific American." Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American. 29 July 2002. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-is-the-difference-be-2002-07-29>.

"Chemical World! - Natural Flavors V.s Artificial Flavors." Chemical World! - Home. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.zchemicals.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=27>.

Geppert, Amy. "What's the Difference Between Artificial and Natural Flavors? | Popular Science." Popular Science | New Technology, Science News, The Future Now. 29 Dec. 2008. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.popsci.com/node/30562>.

Schlosser, Eric. "Why The Fries Taste Good." Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print.

Prospectus..

  Prior to this class, I never gave any thought to the flavorings, natural and artificial, that are used to make my everyday snacks.The chosen topic of my research paper is going to be about the natural flavoring that is said to be used in our granola bars, fruit juices and ice creams, as well as many other desserts. The main focus of this paper will be the question of, How exactly does "natural flavoring" differ from artificial flavoring, if they even differ at all. Many people believe because a food or drink contains "natural flavoring" versus the more common artificial flavoring, that particular food or drink would ultimately be a healthier choice to make. I want to zero in on the truth on natural flavorings and whether or not it is any healthier than artificial.   
    For my paper I plan to expose natural flavoring for what it really is, and I want to know if it is in fact a healthier alternative to artificial flavoring, or if it is just a fake. What exactly is "natural flavoring"? What does it contain, and what makes it so natural? I would like to know what process is used to make this particular flavoring? Are there any chemical additives? What makes this any better, and how do we know that these flavors are in fact ALL natural? My plan is to show my readers what some companies are trying to hide by claiming their products are healthier by false advertising and misusing the word "natural" to their advantage.
   I do not expect to find information on one of many things companies are trying to hide, very easily. But within the weeks that are to come, I intend to use a variety of different tools and resources to back my ideas on the truth about natural flavorings. I will use LaGuardia Community College's subscription database, as well as LexisNexis Academic, and The New York Times articles about natural flavoring that is put in products especially the ones marketed to children. I think the Library Media Resource Center will be very useful too but more specifically I want to incorporate studies done by the FDA about this topic in question. And of course finding information the old fashion way, through journal, magazines, books, and newspapers always helps. I look forward to answering a question that has been on people's minds for a while now.. Is natural flavoring really natural?

Problem Posing Method: Schlosser Chpt. 3

 1. Problem: Many fast food chain employees were being treated unfairly, and many times not getting paid as a worker should be. This caused teh workers to join together in an attempt to unionize.
 2. "Workers were forced to wait until things got busy at a restaurant before officially starting their shifts. They were forced to work without pay after their shifts ended. They were forced to clean restaurants on their own time. And they were sometimes compensated with food, not wages. (Chpt. 3 Pg.75)" This quote represents the problem in such a way that it shows the severity and the extent to which these minimum wage workers were being treated.
 3. Being a loyal McDonalds customer myself, I am usually able to recognize the workers and employees at the McDonalds restaurants I visit. Lately, I have begin to notice that over a period of time, weeks - sometimes months, the workers never stay the same. Due to the low wages, no benifits and poor conditons of the McDonald work place, I have seen that these employees are dissatisfied enough to quit shortly after being hired.
 4. ".. the two sides reached a settlement" pg.75. A failed attempt to solve this issue, was a lawsuit filed against a Taco Bell but before the penalty phase both sides agreed on a settlemnt of millions of dollars in back wages. Though it worked at the time, this "solution" did not work for the employees in the long run. Fast food restaurant workers are still the lowest legally paid workers out there, and the conditions in which they work have not gotten any better.
 5. My Solution: Simply paying employees higher wages, and with better treatment they will be less likey to unoinize against the franchise. This works for both the employees and the franchise owners, workers will be paid and owners will not have to deal with unions forming.

Descriptive Writing; Edited

  We piled into the car, as the all too familiar stench of day old burgers and fries began to fill the space around us. What was once a vibrant bright red, was now a dim and faded "W". I glanced at it in the rear view mirror as we drove away, and the sign read " endys". A flimsy off white and red paper thing bag that contained our dinner, which consisted of of questionable meats and potatoes,  rested on my lap. I could feel the grease seeping through the bottom of the bag, creating what appeared to be a puddle of oil. I was beginning to regret tonight's dinner.
   We then crowded around the dining room table, to scarf down what was probably one of the most unhealthiest meals of the face of the earth. Consumed by the enjoyment of over indulging, the room grew silent as small packets of ketchup and barbecue sauce slid back and forth across the table. I stared down at what was now laid out in front of me, a triple baconator, large fries and a large soda. The fries, drenched in oil, wilted and fell over as I scooped them up off my plate two and three at a time. Now for the triple baconator, what in the world was i thinking?? Three layers of over cooked, processed beef and bacon, piled high in between two sesame seed buns. Halfway through my baconator, feeling uncomfotable and uneasy, with all that grease now sitting in my stomach, i had completely given up on what was supposed to be an enjoyable meal.

Descriptive Writing: My Wendys Experience

   We piled into the car, as the all too familiar stench of day old burgers and fries began to fill the space around us. What was once a vibrant bright red, was now a dim and faded "W". I glanced at it in the rear view mirror as we drove away, and the sign read " endys". A flimsy off white and red paper thing bag that contained our dinner, which consisted of of questionable meats an dpotatoes,  rested on my lap. I could feel the grease seeping through the bottom of the bag, creating what appeared to be a puddle of oil. I was beginning to regrettonight's dinner.