What are Flavors?

Flavors are what create the enjoyable sensations we experience when we eat a food or drink a beverage, such as taste and smell. In nature, individual components work together to create what we recognize as a food's flavor. For example, peaches consist of more than 100 individual components that make a peach taste like peach.

Every flavoring is rigorously assessed to ensure safety by an esteemed international panel of scientific experts from prestigious academic and research institutions across the world. This process is recognized by over 100 countries globally.

The History of Flavors Where Do Flavors Come From? Natural Flavors

Flavor Safety

Ensuring the safety of flavors used in the products consumers enjoy — and maintaining the public’s confidence in that safety — is the flavor industry’s primary goal. The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States understands that the safety of the food supply is of paramount importance to all consumers, and we have a long history of evaluating the safety of flavors designed to enhance the enjoyment of foods and beverages.

Flavor Safety Q&As on Flavor Safety and Labeling
 

Benefits of Flavors

Enjoying flavors in foods and beverages contributes to a person’s overall well-being.

  • Flavors play a crucial role in food choices and contribute to health by making nutritious foods taste better. Flavors make nutritious foods more appealing and enjoyable to eat without adding extra calories, added sugar or sodium.
  • Flavors are part of culture, preserve traditions, and celebrate the way we eat and connect.

The Role of Flavors in Healthy Eating

 

Flavor Facts

Want more than just a taste of flavor knowledge?
Check out the Flavor FAQs or explore the Flavor Facts blog.

FAQs Flavor Facts