What’s the deal with natural flavors?

Written by Robb Wolf (opens in a new tab)

Natural flavors are a hot button topic these days. I understand why folks get worried — many different flavors can be combined to comprise the “natural flavors” listed under any one item’s ingredients, meaning natural flavors don’t always contain the same thing. Personally, I have celiac disease, which makes me extra cautious of what’s in my food. If I see natural flavors on the ingredient list, I do more digging before I’m comfortable consuming the item.That’s one of the reasons we keep gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs out of <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/collections/salt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LMNT</a> — both the ingredients at large, and the natural flavors we use. We keep the formulation as simple as possible to prevent it interfering with as many diets as we can.Still, I get many questions about natural flavors — both generally and in the context of LMNT. In this article, I aim to answer those questions as best I can.<h2>What Are Natural Flavors?</h2>Natural flavors are broadly defined as food flavors that originate from plants or animals. The source material can be “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,” <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.22" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">per the FDA</a>.Here are some common examples of natural flavors:<ul><li>Limonene: Citrus flavor derived from lemon peels. </li><li>Amyl acetate: Banana flavor derived from bananas.</li><li>Benzaldehyde: Nutty flavor derived from almonds.</li><li>Citral: Tangy flavor derived from citrus fruits.</li><li>Anise essential oil: Licorice flavor derived from anise seeds.</li></ul>To be clear, most “natural flavors” on an ingredients label aren’t a single molecule. They’re many flavoring compounds combined to create a specific taste.<h2>Natural Flavors vs Artificial Flavors</h2>Unlike natural flavors, artificial flavors have synthetic origins. If it doesn’t come from plant or animal sources, it’s artificial. That’s the <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.22" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FDA guidance</a>.Yet different origins don’t necessarily mean different molecules. Natural limonene (from lemons) and synthetic limonene are chemically identical. A flavor expert wouldn’t be able to distinguish them, and neither would a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS).But differences arise when you zoom out. When you extract flavor from a lemon, you get more than just limonene. For instance, lemon essential oil also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7020168/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">contains</a> pinene, terpinene, sabinene, myrcene, geranial, and other compounds that contribute to flavor.An artificially flavored lemon drink might use limonene only. A naturally flavored lemon drink will have more compounds, more depth, and a more complex flavor profile. This is a pro for natural flavors — they taste more like the real thing, because they usually contain more of… wait for it… the real thing.That said, artificial flavors are cheaper to make. It’s pricey to extract flavorful compounds from biological material, so many companies choose not to.<h2>The Production of Natural Flavors</h2>A lot of people get jumpy because flavorings — both natural and artificial — are made in a lab. Allow me to pose to you a simple question: Where would you prefer flavors to be produced? A creek bed? A barnyard?Labs are controlled environments. They’re basically ultra clean kitchens designed for flavor extraction. My daughter and I have a “lab” in the corner of our garage to steam-distill essential oil from lavender flowers. We do chemistry there, just like chemistry happens everywhere, every day in nature. The chemistry in a lab just happens to be human-powered.With that frame in mind, humans have multiple methods for isolating natural flavors from plants or animals. Some examples will help illustrate.I already mentioned <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/steam-distillation#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20multistage%20continuous,water%20form%20two%20distinct%20layers." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">steam distillation</a>, a typical process for extracting essential oils. You direct steam through plant material, collect and condense the resulting vapor, and separate the oil from the water layer. You then simply collect the essential oil, aka the “natural flavor.”Other techniques such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9781845690748500038" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">maceration</a>, percolation, and infusion involve soaking plant material in a solvent to allow various flavor compounds to break free from the plant. The solvent is typically water, but may include a bit of ethyl alcohol that later evaporates. After a few hours or days, you strain the mixture to remove the flavor compounds. These may sound scary or “unnatural,” but consider this: If you made coffee or tea this morning, you extracted a natural compound in much the same way.Other extraction methods include:<ul><li>Cold pressing: Crushing the plant matter to release the oil (think olive oil).</li><li>Fermentation: Using bacteria to extract or modify flavor (think kombucha).</li><li>Hydrolysis: Using water to break apart compounds, most often proteins, to create flavor (think umami).</li><li>Decoction: Boiling the plant material to dissolve the desired compounds (think beer production).</li></ul>LMNT’s natural flavors are concentrated liquids extracted specifically from fruits, roots, and spices (think of the vanilla extract in your pantry). Since they’re liquid, they can’t be dropped straight into a dry electrolyte drink mix — all the flavor would clump up in one spot, and the rest of the stick pack would taste unflavored.That’s why flavored drink mixes need a flavor carrier — let’s talk about those in-depth now.<h3>Let’s Talk About Flavor Carriers</h3>While flavor carriers are used in very small amounts, they can still have a noticeable impact on taste. You can think of a flavor carrier a bit like how skin carries perfume. Our skin itself may not have much of a scent, but we all carry fragrances differently. Similarly, different carriers can subtly affect how a flavor comes through.Each of our flavored drink mixes use one of two flavor carriers. It’s a small amount of either maltodextrin or tapioca fiber (depending on the flavor) that helps carry liquid natural flavors in powder form so they can be evenly mixed throughout the stick pack. Flavor carriers aren't their own separate ingredients. Per the FDA’s nutrition label guidelines, they’re not listed separately from the natural flavors on our label.<a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink?variant=42281197731863" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lemonade Salt</a> uses about ~330 mg (±10%) of tapioca fiber. All of our other flavors use 300–450 mg (±10%) of maltodextrin, which is between 1–2 calories. We're in the process of switching all flavors over to tapioca fiber in the next year or so, with Raspberry Salt and Orange Salt first to market.We do not use flavor carriers in<a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-sparkling?variant=41058153889815" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 16oz LMNT Sparkling</a> or<a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-sparkling-12oz?variant=44653895548951" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 12oz LMNT Sparkling</a> (because they're already liquid) nor in our<a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink?variant=16358367232034" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Raw Unflavored</a> drink mix (because it doesn't contain any natural flavors).OCT 2024 UPDATE: We recognize and honor that LMNT is a companion on many unique health journeys, which is why we’re actively working to address concerns raised by folks who are sensitive to maltodextrin (even in small amounts). We know the flavored drink mix doesn’t work for everyone, and offer <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink?variant=16358367232034" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LMNT Raw Unflavored Drink Mix</a> and <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-sparkling?variant=41058153889815" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LMNT Sparkling</a> as options which do not contain maltodextrin. You can also use this <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/best-homemade-electrolyte-drink-for-dehydration/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free recipe</a> to make it yourself at home. MAY 2025 UPDATE: Lemonade Salt contains tapioca fiber as the flavor carrier. As we evaluated different options, we found tapioca fiber as a carrier to be the best complement to the Lemonade Salt flavor profile. In developing Lemonade Salt, we tested multiple flavor options with different carriers, and we chose the flavor that used tapioca fiber because it is safe, high quality, and (although we may be slightly biased) it tastes delicious.APR 2026 UPDATE: Raspberry Salt and Orange Salt are now rolling out with tapioca fiber as their flavor carriers, with more of our flavors to follow soon.<h2>The Safety of Natural Flavors</h2>In 1958, the Food Additives and Amendment Act <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Flavors%20nonsynthetic%202%20TR.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gave</a> the FDA responsibility for regulating all food additives (including flavors) used in US food. Under this system, a flavor is either GRAS (generally recognized as safe) or regulated as a food additive by the FDA. Let’s explore each classification.GRAS means a panel of scientists has deemed the compound safe at the levels normally consumed by humans. This panel is a part of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (<a href="https://www.femaflavor.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FEMA</a>) of the United States. When FEMA declares a flavoring compound GRAS (over 2,800 have this status), the FDA is cool with its usage in food.“Levels normally consumed” is the operative phrase in the GRAS definition. With everything we consume, the dose makes the poison. Too much water is toxic, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t drink it. Allergy concerns aside, small quantities of GRAS natural flavors aren’t likely worth stressing over… I call this “majoring in the minors.” I do NOT say this to be disparaging, but rather based on my 25 years of experience working with folks on health. My opinion is that there are a lot more important areas to focus on that would likely provide far more benefit. But, by all means, each person should make their own decisions based on their needs and goals.Moving on, if a flavor ingredient doesn’t qualify as GRAS, the FDA regulates it as a food additive or supplement. Any new additive must undergo a stringent and lengthy process that helps authorities determine the substance’s safety. It includes a literature review, toxicology considerations, and more. If there isn’t much data on a compound, the FDA might <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Flavors%20nonsynthetic%202%20TR.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">examine</a> data on “structurally related substances” — compounds with a similar molecular structure.Rounding out safety concerns, I’d always encourage caution for anyone with severe food allergies. LMNT contains zero gluten, soy, eggs, dairy, or shellfish, and is rigorously tested.<h2>FAQs About Natural Flavors in LMNT</h2>We get questions about the natural flavors in LMNT pretty frequently, so I thought I’d address them all at once. Here we go!<h3>Why does LMNT use natural flavors?</h3>Well, we wanted to use supernatural flavors, but we were all out of holy water… Just kidding! We use natural flavors because we like the depth and complexity of the flavor profiles — they just taste better.<h3>What natural flavors does LMNT use?</h3>We know that many folks in our community have health concerns that warrant them knowing exactly what they’re putting in their body. To that end, we strive to be as transparent as we can regarding our ingredients.Our natural flavors are distilled or extracted from fruits, roots, and spices. None of our natural flavors or other ingredients are derived from animals, so LMNT is vegan-friendly.I understand why the ambiguity of not disclosing the complete list of compounds here might irk a few people. I care about what I put in my body too. The truth is that LMNT’s formulation is simple — it can be (and has already been) copied. However, our flavors are unique. We put a ton of time and effort into developing each one — and we view them as proprietary. Maybe not as guarded closely as the nuclear codes or the Coca-Cola formulation, but they’re absolutely a part of our “secret sauce.”For folks that prefer to avoid natural flavors, we offer our <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink?variant=16358367232034" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Raw Unflavored</a> drink mix. You can flavor it yourself with a squeeze of lemon or whatever other ingredients suit your taste. At the end of the day, above anything else, we care about health outcomes — so if you prefer to mix your own ingredients into “homemade LMNT,” <a href="https://drinklmnt.com/products/lmnt-recharge-electrolyte-drink?variant=16358367232034" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here’s the recipe</a>. <h3>Do the natural flavors in LMNT contain GMOs?</h3>Our natural flavors are all either non-GMO or GMO-free. Some components of our natural flavors may be derived from genetically modified materials (like corn, potato, and tomato), but the end product contains zero DNA from any bioengineered materials.<h3>Are the natural flavors in LMNT safe?</h3>We only use natural flavors with well-established safety profiles. The FDA regulates which flavors are generally recognized as safe, but some compounds have more safety data than others. We were diligent to avoid anything questionable in our products, and always will be.We’re super sensitive to allergy concerns as well. Our suppliers, manufacturers, and an independent third party test at every point along the production process: the raw materials, the bulk mix of blended raw materials, and the finished products themselves.Our natural flavors’ supplier is held to the same standards we hold all of our partners. Regular audits ensure compliance with FDA food manufacturing guidance under <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-117?toc=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">21 CFR 117</a>, including sanitation, employee hygiene, specific allergen programs, and overall Good Manufacturing Practices. To learn more about how we ensure excellence in product quality and testing, check out <a href="https://science.drinklmnt.com/did-you-know/quality-and-testing/?" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>.<h2>FAQs About Our Flavor Carriers (Maltodextrin & Tapioca Fiber)</h2><h3>Which flavors of LMNT Drink Mix use tapioca fiber vs. maltodextrin?</h3>Lemonade Salt uses tapioca fiber. All of our other flavors currently use a small amount of maltodextrin. Raspberry Salt and Orange Salt are transitioning over to tapioca fiber this year, with other flavors to follow.<h3>Will maltodextrin spike my blood sugar?</h3>Maltodextrin has a high glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how quickly a carbohydrate can raise blood sugar. But GI doesn’t tell the whole story. Glycemic index is measured using large amounts of carbohydrate (typically 50 grams). What matters is how much you consume.We use a tiny amount of maltodextrin in certain flavors of LMNT Drink Mix — about 300–450 mg (±10%), which is roughly 1–2 calories. That’s a very small amount and is unlikely to meaningfully impact blood sugar for most people.To put things into perspective, "glycemic load" (which accounts for both GI AND amount consumed) for this amount of maltodextrin is well below 1. And anecdotally, many folks in our community who use Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) have shared that they don’t see any noticeable change in blood sugar after drinking LMNT. Of course, health is highly individual, so we encourage you to test this yourself and make the choice that works best for you.<h3>What is your maltodextrin derived from?</h3>Our maltodextrin is derived from corn.<h3>Does your maltodextrin contain corn protein?</h3>While maltodextrin is processed to remove the corn protein, many folks with corn allergies and intolerances choose to avoid corn-derived maltodextrin altogether to be extra safe. We do not test LMNT for corn protein.<h3>What is tapioca fiber?</h3>Our tapioca fiber is a soluble dietary fiber derived from cassava root.<h3>Will tapioca fiber spike my blood sugar?</h3>Our tapioca fiber is resistant dextrin, which passes through the digestive tract mostly intact (without being broken down into glucose). Its glycemic index — a measure of how quickly a food can raise blood sugar — is close to zero, meaning it should not impact blood sugar.<h3>When will Raspberry Salt & Orange Salt be available with tapioca fiber?</h3>Throughout 2026, we are gradually transitioning the flavor carrier in Raspberry Salt and Orange Salt from maltodextrin to tapioca fiber.For online orders (our website and Amazon), we will continue selling the current version until inventory runs out. After that, orders will begin shipping with the tapioca fiber version instead. Once the transition is fully complete, we’ll update this article to keep everyone in the loop.For retail stores, we can’t control how long the current version remains on shelves. Stores may carry either version until their existing inventory is replaced, and timing will vary by location.<h3>Will tapioca fiber replace maltodextrin in all your other flavored drink mixes?</h3>Yes, we're in the process of switching all flavors over to tapioca fiber in the next year or so, with Raspberry Salt and Orange Salt first to market. We'll keep this article up-to-date with all the latest information as time goes on.<h2>Parting Thoughts on Natural Flavors</h2>The bottom line for me is that I drink LMNT. My wife drinks LMNT. My kids drink LMNT. And we all drink a lot of it. I’m beyond just “comfortable” with the ingredient list — I feel good about giving it to myself and all my loved ones.We understand that the choices we’ve made in our formulation won’t work for everyone. At the end of the day, your health journey is your own. We encourage you to make your own informed choices along the way, including how you choose to Stay Salty.