Is Natural Flavoring Gluten-Free and Safe for People with Celiac Disease?

Here’s a list of the ingredients that contain the manufacture free glutamate that is the toxic ingredient in MSG: https://www.truthinlabeling.org/names.html.  I don’t know who told you otherwise, but MSG isn’t safe for anyone.  The Truth in Labeling Campaign webpage tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about MSG (www.truthinlabeling.org).

This article concerns whether or not it’s gluten-free, and safe for celiacs, which it is. 

I'm having a tough time buying your story that "Natural Flavors" is simply secret code for MSG.  I've been blending tea since 1996, and many of the products available in the wholesale tea market contain "natural flavors", added in addition to things that might signal the desired flavor to the customer.  Examples: Apricot Oolong Tea usually contains no apricots and Strawberry Black Tea contains no actual strawberries. But look at the ingredient list and you'll invariably find natural and/or artificial flavors. 

And I'm pretty confident in saying that they're not using MSG to somehow manifest the impression of apricot or strawberry. No, these are chemical compounds based on chemistry and culinary science. The fact that companies are permitted keep these ingredients secret is infuriating, because people deserve to know what they're putting in their bodies.  Liquor industry, same thing!  You think there's anything actually orange in that Curaçao cordial--blue or otherwise? 

Where things get dicey is when manufacturers, such as soup companies, use this catch-all term to cloak their ingredients. And since items like barley, rye and oats are not included in the FDA mandatory allergen declarations, they can slide those under the radar as "proprietary ingredients".  

Your article gives me zero confidence in what you're claiming.  "Natural flavors", etc. cannot possibly be limited to MSG. 

We updated this to say “may contain“ because they don’t necessarily contain msg.

13 hours ago, Scott Adams said:

We updated this to say “may contain“ because they don’t necessarily contain msg.

And that... with a single word... is a different article entirely.  Thank you for clarifying and fixing! 

I try really hard not to come across as confrontational, but it's "in me" to challenge what I see as incoherent.  

We updated this article today to include more information directly from the FDA.

I am confused about: "For those with celiac disease, natural flavoring is considered to be gluten-free, and if wheat, rye or barley were used to make the natural flavoring it would need to be disclosed on the ingredient label in foods that are labelled "gluten-free." If wheat were used to make natural flavoring it would always need to be disclosed, even on products not labelled gluten-free."  The first part of the first sentence says natural flavoring is gluten-free. Then the second half implies that it is possible that rye or barley could be used to make the natural flavoring and therefore would not need to be disclosed on a typical food label that is not making any special claims. Both of those cannot be true. 

I think it was just a hypothetical "if".

See this post:

"While "natural flavors" can contain gluten, they very rarely actually do. The most likely source would be barley malt, and that is a relatively expensive ingredient, so it is usually explicitly declared as "malt flavor."

17 hours ago, Guest Addams K said:

I am confused about: "For those with celiac disease, natural flavoring is considered to be gluten-free, and if wheat, rye or barley were used to make the natural flavoring it would need to be disclosed on the ingredient label in foods that are labelled "gluten-free." If wheat were used to make natural flavoring it would always need to be disclosed, even on products not labelled gluten-free."  The first part of the first sentence says natural flavoring is gluten-free. Then the second half implies that it is possible that rye or barley could be used to make the natural flavoring and therefore would not need to be disclosed on a typical food label that is not making any special claims. Both of those cannot be true. 

I missed this nuance the first time as well.   The two sentences are "Apples and Crabapples": they overlap, but are really talking about different things. 

On 9/7/2020 at 10:38 PM, sc'Que? said:

I'm having a tough time buying your story that "Natural Flavors" is simply secret code for MSG.  I've been blending tea since 1996, and many of the products available in the wholesale tea market contain "natural flavors", added in addition to things that might signal the desired flavor to the customer.  Examples: Apricot Oolong Tea usually contains no apricots and Strawberry Black Tea contains no actual strawberries. But look at the ingredient list and you'll invariably find natural and/or artificial flavors. 

And I'm pretty confident in saying that they're not using MSG to somehow manifest the impression of apricot or strawberry. No, these are chemical compounds based on chemistry and culinary science. The fact that companies are permitted keep these ingredients secret is infuriating, because people deserve to know what they're putting in their bodies.  Liquor industry, same thing!  You think there's anything actually orange in that Curaçao cordial--blue or otherwise? 

Where things get dicey is when manufacturers, such as soup companies, use this catch-all term to cloak their ingredients. And since items like barley, rye and oats are not included in the FDA mandatory allergen declarations, they can slide those under the radar as "proprietary ingredients".  

Your article gives me zero confidence in what you're claiming.  "Natural flavors", etc. cannot possibly be limited to MSG. 

The key is "Natural flavors" vs. "Natural Flavoring." The government treats them differently. Natural flavors can be many things, including citrus oils, etc. Natural flavoring is almost always msg. I hope that helps.

In light of our ongoing discussion about "natural flavoring" and barleymalt, etc appearing in foods that do not specifically enumerate them on the label...

Open Original Shared Link 

I've despised microwave popcorn since living with my cousins' family while in college in the early '90s.  The smell just always "turned" me. But regardless, pay note to how they mention: "Diacetyl is still entirely legal (and safe!) to use as a flavoring, but it would be rolled up in 'natural flavorings' or 'artificial flavorings' on an ingredients list: You’d never see it named on a label."  

"(and safe!)" I'm not going to comment on other than leaving that there. But the notion that ingredients are hidden on labels should be noted.  Not because is trying to be nefarious... but because they are.  (And yes, I meant to do that.)