(Posted February 24, 2017) Natural flavors (also referred to as natural sources) are some of the most commonly used ingredients in processed foods, and cosmetics. However, most people are unaware that around 95% of the time those flavors are derived from animal elastin, glands, fat, protein and oil. Many times those flavors come from their anal glands (castoreum), which proves my perpetual point about how disgusting and filthy humans truly are! There are plant sources for flavoring but unless the company is 100% vegan, you can safely assume that the natural flavors are not! Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule as I recently discovered that Trader Joe’s only uses vegan flavoring for its brand-name products! To find out if one of your favorite products (made by a non vegan company) uses plant flavors, you will need to contact that company directly. If they don’t use plant sources, make sure to tell them that you will be finding a new favorite product.
