Flavor, additives nature identical

Beyond the GRAS Lists - The Minimal Risk of Additional Nature Identical Flavoring Materials -J. Stofberg - Perf.Flav.I2 (Oct./Nov.), 19-22 (1987)... 

The terms synthetic, artificial, and chemical have aroused the doubts and suspicions of consumers in some instances (68,69). However, many such chemical components also occur in nature, ie, nature identical (37,68) (see Eood additives). It has been noted by the EDA that an artificial flavor is no less safe, nutritious, or desirable than a natural flavor, and that the purpose for distinguishing between a natural and artificial flavor is for economic reasons, ie, the natural flavor is often more expensive than the artificial flavor (70). Since it is generally economically impractical to isolate many of the components... 

Nature Identical Flavor Matenal A flavor ingredient obtained by synthesis, or isolated from natural products through chemical processes, chemically identical to the substance present in a natural product and intended for human consumption either processed or not eg, citral obtained by chemical synthesis or from oil of lemongrass through a bisulfite addition compound. 

The results of an aroma analysis can serve as an objective guide in food processing for assessing the suitability of individual processing steps, and for assessing the quality of raw material, intermediate- and endproducts. In addition, investigation of food aroma broadens the possibility of food flavoring with substances that are prepared synthetically, but are chemically identical to those found in nature, i. e. the so-called nature identical flavors (cf. 5.5). 

Fortified concentrates. These are products in which the flavor strength is fortified or the aromatic profile intensified by the addition of either other natural flavor constituents or of flavorings compounded from synthetics that are generally, but not necessarily, identical to those found in the natural fruit. 

The allowed production processes are listed in the US regulation, but they are not as precisely defined as they are in the EU regulation. In the US definition of natural, more importance is given to the specific biological source from which the flavor is obtained. Additionally, the EU also requires a natural substance be identical to that found in Nature and not altered in any way. For a chiral flavoring substance, the ratio of the two enantiomers has to be identical to that of the substance found in nature. 

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