Saturday, February 09, 2008

The decline of the FDA

I read somewhere that the ingredient "natural flavors" can have monosodium glutamate (MSG) in it, and then I read another detailed article about MSG that didn't have natural flavors listed as an ingredient that might contain MSG. Does anyone have any knowledge regarding the vague ingredient of natural flavors? Why doesn't the FDA require companies to list the origin of the natural flavor? What about artificial flavor? I'm scared to look up what the definition is of artifical flavor in the Code of Federal Regulations.

The exact definition of natural flavorings & flavors from Title 21, Section 101, part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations is as follows:

"The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means 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."

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