Spices and Natural Flavor: What are they?

[AdminCM]

Spices and Natural Flavor: What are they?

(Many references in this thread-- basically a clearinghouse of info for what those terms can hide and may mean on labels for those with non-top 8 allergens.)

[admin rebekahc]

notashrimpwimp
Member
Posted: 01.16.2011 at 10:02:28


I have just been avoiding these things out of caution. But what are they? Is there some sort of common ingredient across manufacturers?


Multiple food allergies and dust allergy (that I know of so far.)

[admin rebekahc]

LinksEtc
Member
Posted: 01.17.2011 at 10:05:42


Good questions notashrimpwimp.  I wish the answer was simple, but label terms like natural flavor, artificial flavor, spices, and colors can "hide" many allergens.

I'm not sure how much info you'd like, but I'll point you to several resources where you can learn more.

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http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcesnew.php
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcetopic.php?topic=pfood-safety-labeling
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=9&title=Natural_flavoring_can_contain_food_allergens

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http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=101.4

You can go to this page
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
and plug in 101.22 to bring you to the
"Sec. 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives" FDA page.

(a)(1) The termartificial flavor orartificial flavoring means any substance, the function of which is to impart flavor, which is not derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof. Artificial flavor includes the substances listed in 172.515(b) and 182.60 of this chapter except where these are derived from natural sources.

(2) The termspice means any aromatic vegetable substance in the whole, broken, or ground form, except for those substances which have been traditionally regarded as foods, such as onions, garlic and celery; whose significant function in food is seasoning rather than nutritional; that is true to name; and from which no portion of any volatile oil or other flavoring principle has been removed. Spices include the spices listed in 182.10 and part 184 of this chapter, such as the following:

Allspice, Anise, Basil, Bay leaves, Caraway seed, Cardamon, Celery seed, Chervil, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Cumin seed, Dill seed, Fennel seed, Fenugreek, Ginger, Horseradish, Mace, Marjoram, Mustard flour, Nutmeg, Oregano, Paprika, Parsley, Pepper, black; Pepper, white; Pepper, red; Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Star aniseed, Tarragon, Thyme, Turmeric.

Paprika, turmeric, and saffron or other spices which are also colors, shall be declared as "spice and coloring" unless declared by their common or usual name.

There appear to be some typos in the above quote, but you get the idea.

You can keep going to other CFR pages to get more details.

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There is this paper which explains FA labeling very well:

http://allergy.hyperboards.com/index.php?action=view_topic&topic_id=4438
http://www.fdli.org/pubs/journal/toc/vol61_1.html#4

There is a draft of the FDLI paper here (it is not the final version of the paper):

http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/730/Derr05_FINAL.html

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Hope that helps.

« Last Edited by LinksEtc 01.17.2011 at 10:09:10 »

[admin rebekahc]

notashrimpwimp
Member
Posted: 01.17.2011 at 11:35:33


Thank you, I appreciate it. Artificial flavoring sounds really spooky now. Spices too.


Multiple food allergies and dust allergy (that I know of so far.)

[admin rebekahc]

LinksEtc
Member
Posted: 01.17.2011 at 11:55:13


01.17.2011 at 11:35:33, notashrimpwimp wrote:

Thank you, I appreciate it. Artificial flavoring sounds really spooky now. Spices too.

No problem.

I typed that up kind of fast, but now that I think about it, I'm not sure how much artificial flavors and food allergies are related ... I know people can be sensitive to them.

Natural flavors, though, yeah - those are an issue for most people in the USA with a food allergy to a food that is not one of the "eight major" food allergens  .

[admin rebekahc]

notashrimpwimp
Member
Posted: 01.17.2011 at 12:10:41


I had an experience with a spice mix, before I had to worry about allergies. I was eating this spice mix with everything, toast to pasta to sour cream. Well, I noticed I was having a lot of forgetfulness and all around weird mind. I looked at the label, and the first ingredient was MSG! MSG doesn't agree with my family, but boy does it enhance the flavor of things!

With some non-top eight allergens, I am fearful due to past incidents.


Multiple food allergies and dust allergy (that I know of so far.)

[admin rebekahc]

Ra3chel
Member
Posted: 01.17.2011 at 02:11:57


01.17.2011 at 11:35:33, notashrimpwimp wrote:

Thank you, I appreciate it. Artificial flavoring sounds really spooky now. Spices too.

If you've got any non-top-eight allergens, that is precisely the right impression to take away. 


The 3 is silent.

[admin rebekahc]

notashrimpwimp
Member
Posted: 01.18.2011 at 12:07:05


Are there any other delightfully vague words to take note of? I see modified a lot. Shopping for processed foods is time-consuming. Half the time I don't understand ingredients. Plus I wonder about labels that just say the end-product that I'd put into another product, i.e. Caramel. How was it made???


Multiple food allergies and dust allergy (that I know of so far.)

[admin rebekahc]

LinksEtc
Member
Posted: 01.18.2011 at 07:49:34



01.18.2011 at 12:07:05, notashrimpwimp wrote:

Are there any other delightfully vague words to take note of? I see modified a lot. Shopping for processed foods is time-consuming. Half the time I don't understand ingredients. Plus I wonder about labels that just say the end-product that I'd put into another product, i.e. Caramel. How was it made???

Yes, there are other things to look out for and to be aware of when reading labels.  I'll try and post some more detailed info for you when I get the chance.

What non-big8 allergens are you avoiding?

[admin rebekahc]

notashrimpwimp
Member
Posted: 01.18.2011 at 11:10:57


Oats, green beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, corn (man I was reading those threads, it is in nearly everything!), grapes, strawberries, cottonseed oil, and sesame. (These are allergens that I have reacted to for sure, unlike some others such as rice, beef, pork...)


Multiple food allergies and dust allergy (that I know of so far.)

[admin rebekahc]

LinksEtc
Member
Posted: 01.18.2011 at 08:33:27


That's a lot to deal with ... I hope that you've been able to see an allergist to help you sort through it all.

o.k., I was going to type a lot of stuff up, but why don't we start with this approach first ...

Go to this link:
http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/730/Derr05_FINAL.html

Do a search on the page for
"When What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: Problems Related to Allergen Avoidance and the Importance of Food Labels"

If you start reading there, until the end of the part about advisory labeling, I think that will help you to understand food labeling better.  I know there are copyright concerns, so I don't want to put long quotes here, but I think that you'll find the info helpful.

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These links are also helpful because they are a good reminder that even for the big8 USA allergens, the FALCPA doesn't cover things such as USDA regulated products, drugs, or cosmetics.

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=50&title=FALCPA

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/signsandsymptoms/bb/turkeyallergies.htm

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Just a little disclaimer ... I'm not an expert, just a FA mom, so always try to confirm info for yourself.

[admin rebekahc]

notashrimpwimp
Member
Posted: 01.18.2011 at 08:50:57


Your help means a lot. My allergist simply said to make soups, so as to denature the proteins. Also, just to eat mostly fruits and vegetables. She also suggested I consider going somewhere that specializes in food allergies to get a full work-up. Also to just avoid everything I am allergic to and keep a food diary so that I can see what happens when I eat certain foods. She also suggested that I avoid all additives since I am sensitive.

I am being realistic when I say that I am having diFficulties working everything out.

So thank you, I really appreciate it.


Multiple food allergies and dust allergy (that I know of so far.)

[admin rebekahc]

LinksEtc
Member
Posted: 01.19.2011 at 07:28:14


01.18.2011 at 08:50:57, notashrimpwimp wrote:

Your help means a lot.

No problem, I'm glad to help.  Do you feel like you better understand food labeling now?

My allergist simply said to make soups, so as to denature the proteins. Also, just to eat mostly fruits and vegetables.

You might want to start a new thread up in the main part of the board about this topic to get more input ... there are some here at FAS who know a lot more about this subject than I do.

I will share a personal experience with you.  I had a bag of plain dry red lentils and was going to make soup, but the lentils were made on the same equipment as sesame (which is an allergen we deal with).  So I called our allergist and asked what he thought, and he did not feel the heat of the soup would make any cross-contam or particulate matter exposure safe.  He advised us that he did not feel that the soup would be safe for our sesame-allergic dc.

I have heard of people being able to tolerate certain allergens when cooked, but it seems allergens are very different and many retain their potent allergenic properties even when heated, as in a soup.

You'll probably be able to get a lot more feedback about this in main.

Just in case any newbies are reading this, those with food allergies should totally avoid the food(s) to which they are allergic in any form unless their doctor (preferably an allergist) advises them otherwise.

[admin rebekahc]

LinksEtc
Member
Posted: 01.19.2011 at 07:52:40


I did find some older threads that might help a little:

"almond allergy question"
http://allergy.hyperboards.com/index.php?action=view_topic&topic_id=2502&post_id=38555#38555

"Are allergists giving different advice?"
http://allergy.hyperboards.com/index.php?action=view_topic&topic_id=9422&post_id=182023#182023

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @Aller_MD


"What are natural flavors, really?"
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/14/health/feat-natural-flavors-explained/index.html?utm_content=bufferf0034&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

In the Environmental Working Group's Food Scores database of over 80,000 foods, "natural flavor" is the fourth most common ingredient listed on labels.