Natural flavours not so natural

Natural Flavours. Not So Natural!   It seems corporations have found another way to keep us addicted to their products. Tobacco companies have used addictive chemicals in tobacco for years, soda pop companies just added more sugar, soup and fast food chains added more salt, elite coffee companies founds ways to increase the caffeine content to create a whole new generation of customers. Now we have natural flavours.
 
The current recall on foods containing hydrolyzed protein. Click here to see the list  shows that even pure vegetable dishes contain this ingredient. The protein is derived from an animal's pancreas. The reason it is added to food is to enhance the flavour of food, making it taste better. This ingredient or others like it can find its way even into 100% fruit juice, frozen meats, vegetables or fruit. 
We recently read the ingredients on some frozen mangoes we had purchased. We were shocked to read natural flavors were added. Our 4 year old now prefers frozen fruit with natural flavours added than just plain frozen fruit. Almost as if he is addicted to the extra flavour boost already. It is important to know that not all natural flavours are from animal proteins. Current labelling laws do not make companies put the true ingredients on the labels, leaving us in the dark once again.




From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hydrolyzed Protein is protein that has been hydrolyzed or broken down into its component amino acids. While there are many means of achieving this, two of the most common are prolonged boiling in a strong acid (acid-HVP) or strong base or using an enzyme such as the pancreatic protease enzyme to stimulate the naturally-occurring hydrolytic process.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, hydrolyzed protein is used to enhance flavor. The chemical breakdown of proteins may result in the formation of free glutamate that joins with free sodium to form monosodium glutamate (MSG). When added this way, American law does not require the labels to list MSG as an ingredient.