It's time that food labels are more honest for those with allergies or dietary restrictions. The term "natural flavors" on a food label can hide ingredients that can cause allergic reactions in many, or hide foods that interfere with someone's diet (like meat-derived ingredients prohibited by religion). Read this for a deep-dive into the issue.

As someone with a food allergy, I understand how incredibly time-consuming it is for people with allergies to have to sift through the label of every product they want to buy. But even with the clear labeling standards that we have in the United States, some things slip through the cracks - like natural flavors. This umbrella term can be used to describe any fruit, vegetable, nut, seed, or meat derived flavor used in the product, which often include proteins that cause reactions in those with allergies.

While the big nine allergens are required to be listed if a natural flavor is derived from them (this includes peanuts, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish, milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, fish, and sesame), brands can either hide them in complex labels or list them under a scientific name that most would not be able to recognize. 

The biggest issue that is caused by poor labeling is when naturally derived ingredients come from a source that isn't considered a "big nine" allergen, but many are still allergic to that ingredient. These less common allergies can include seeds, legumes, and meat, and as stated by the USDA, account for 10% of food allergies in the United States - it doesn't sound like a lot, but this means that for every ten people with a food allergy, at least one has an allergen that is not required to be clearly listed. Especially with the rise of alpha-gal, clear labeling is more important than ever.

Even for consumers that don't have an allergy or follow a strict diet, honest labeling is increasingly valuable with a rise in ultra-processed foods. Consumers deserve to know what they are eating, and the term "natural flavors" can include a myriad of heavily treated and refined flavors, as long as they are derived from a plant or animal based source.

A common counter-argument against clear labeling is that brands have trade secrets, and listing what flavors are derived from can reveal too much about the product and make it easier to replicate. While this could be true in some cases, honest labeling doesn't call for exact amounts of flavors or isolated proteins that were derived from plants to be listed, but instead, what the flavors were derived from. Just an apple alone can produce more than 266 volatile compounds that can be used in the formulation of food!

Of course, this petition being signed doesn't automatically require the FDA or USDA to create a new rule stating that companies must list where natural flavors were derived from, but signing this signals that this is an issue important to many. Each petition signature is an important step towards a future of honest labeling.

Therefore, this petition is asking for natural flavors to be listed in a manner where the source of the flavor is clearly labeled without disclosing exact amounts or formulations, protecting consumers and trade secrets at the same time. This would help make labeling more straightforward for those with allergies, and help everyone make informed decisions about what they eat.