What are natural flavors?

[True2marie]

Since eating more healthy has become popular in America, I have noticed many foods promoting natural flavors. My assumption is that this means they don't have added-in artificial flavoring, but I am truly not sure. Can anyone explain to me the meaning of natural flavors and what types of flavorings really fall under this category?

What does that really mean?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Natural flavours is a way of hiding what they are using and are not always not what they seem I am afraid.

This is a worst case scenario...

First of all, regulations for the word "natural" only apply to flavors; anywhere else you find it on food packaging means absolutely nothing regarding quality. Secondly, the FDA definition of "natural flavors" and "natural flavoring" allows for the substance to be extracted from plant or animal "matter." So when you buy something that's organic, vegetarian, or vegan, and it has "natural flavoring," you could be eating a pig, cow, turkey, chicken, or lamb which was shot up with growth hormones, fed GMO pesticide-laden corn and grain - probably mixed with other animals of it's same breed, then shot up with antibiotics due to infections and diseases from living in confined quarters on slats covered in poo pourri.