Instructional &
Informational Posts
Speaking in Tongues (SiT) will not improve your Spanish or Mandarin. (It won’t make them worse either.) Instead, SiT helps us become fluent in the language of health and wellness, scrutinizing the zoo of text on labels around us. Can "bio" be added to anything? How do I pronounce that additive (and why is it there)? We're looking closely and critically at commonly-used words and phrases, with a concern for the consumer and a delight in language itself.
“This food product contains something generic and/or nonspecific and when in season, something anonymous”
Sophisticated combinations of multiple ingredients are sometimes given one name, like when you turn over a package of hummus to check out the seasoning and see only, “spices”.
A hallmark illustration of word-budgeting (and detail-glossing) is the term “natural and artificial flavours”. Are companies concealing recipe secrets that don’t sound very safe or don’t sound very sexy?
Off to the fridge for a sample.
Natur-a rice milk contains “natural flavour”. In this case, you’d think this would mean the flavour of rice. But since “organic rice” is already listed, could it be something complementary to rice, like the flavour of almonds? Or something embarrassing that the company had to name-drain, like the flavour of socks (natural cotton, natural gym sweat…)?
“Natural/artificial” refers to the source of flavour. Natural flavours are from a plant or animal source (watch out, vegetarians!). Artificial flavours are synthetic cocktails (typically vegetarian) designed to press your taste bud buttons in the same manner as the real source would. Both can be extracted chemically in a lab, and often both types of additives are designed to restore flavour that is lost during processing or storing.
Years ago, Jelly Belly produced Harry Potter’s Bertie Bott jelly beans in surprise flavours like earwax and vomit. Natural or artificial flavours? Trick or treat?
According to the labelling gods in Canada**, foods or ingredients that went through processes to alter their original states should not be labelled “natural”. But oddly, some additives used to enhance flavours don’t make it unnatural, and some (like preservatives) don’t need to be listed with the ingredients.
You don’t need to quit your job and start canning food full-time, but be aware that trace amounts of additives can be present in your “natural” foods without being advertised. Other enhancing additives do need to be listed because they supposedly change the food overall (sweeteners and acids like citric acid).
In all likelihood, Natur-a wanted to ensure mindblowingly tasty rice milk. It appears there isn’t much desire to conceal recipes, just an extra step to achieve flavour so rampant in our modern worship of flavourism by flavourists. But transparency, sensitivity to allergies, seem flouted. We find this distasteful. (Naturally.)
Thankfully, some companies have begun to respond to consumer feedback wary of artificial flavours (see and judge for yourself), while others have taken to maximizing ways to express “natural” on their packaging to grant reassurance (again, have your look).
All in all, your label literacy can make for positive change. Pull out those reading glasses, pay attention, and use your voice when you’re unsure. (We’ve reached out to Natur-a for some ‘natural flavours’ clarity – we’ll keep you posted***).
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**Responsibility for regulating food labels in Canada is shared among two departments (Canadian Food Inspection Agency [CFIA] and Health Canada) and among two legal acts. This ensures “clear policy advice and basic ground rules” about labelling and claims. The two departments and two acts to form a romantic Venn diagram of clarity with the Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising, available online.
***Natur-a responded to our email around what exactly is their 'natural flavour' with the following: "The natural flavor is part of a secret recipe. It’s made from botanicals and minerals that are food grade. There is nothing coming from any animal source in this ingredient. It’s vegan compliant and it does not include any GMO or MSG. It’s in our product to “complement” the taste of the Rice." We're still curious...
Next up? Recommended Daily Intake. Stay tuned.
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Emily Glazer likes to babysit other people’s cats and to drum on any surface that'll answer with a sound. She advocates for women’s health through research and writing (so far) and her soul delights in jazz. Delight in a moment with Emily here.
