Flavoring tea has been around a long time, and originally flowers and other fragrant botanicals were layered in the tea which readily absorbed their aromas. While botanicals, fruits, and spices are still used, some blenders use natural flavors to achieve the desired taste.
What is a natural flavor?
A point of controversy is the term ‘natural flavors’ which have been derided as intentionally misleading by some. ‘Natural flavors’ is indeed a regulated name by the FDA and is as follows:
‘The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from 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 thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.’
Natural flavors may or may not include the ‘ingredient’ of the target flavor. A particular chemical combination may be present in a peach for example, but the same chemical may also be present in other sources such as carrots. A flavor company catalogs the various properties of the raw material, and using different combinations they can achieve new flavor variations. Think of it like mixing different base colors to achieve a new color. The term chemical should not be taken as being bad for you. A standard, raw tea leaf contains over 700 chemicals.
A good way to visualize flavors is some of the extracts found in the grocery store. Almond extract, vanilla extract are the types of products that are used to flavor teas as well as foods. A majority of the natural flavors used in teas are derived from botanical sources. Almost all of these extracts are produced using the distillation method. A quick example is lemon flavoring: lemon rinds are boiled to release their organic compounds. The steam is then collected and reduced to its super concentrated form. If it’s just like making whiskey!
How much flavoring is used in tea?
The amount of flavoring needed is minimal—about one teaspoon per pound! A large portion of that is ethyl alcohol, which is used as a carrying agent (as it evaporates, the flavor is carried through the tea via the evaporating alcohol). The flavor and the alcohol are water-soluble, so water is used to combine the two. In all, once the alcohol and water evaporate, you are looking at 1/2 teaspoons or less of actual flavoring per pound.
What about artificial flavors?
Some teas may indicate artificial flavors. Not all artificial flavors are the same. In loose tea, they may use an artificial flavor categorized as ‘nature equivalent’. As mentioned above, a natural flavor has to come from a natural source. There are times when the cost of the natural source skyrockets. The natural equivalent is re-creating the molecule exactly how it is found in nature except it is made in a lab.
A good analogy is Star Trek. Captain Picard would ask for an ‘Earl Grey .. Hot’. The replicator took energy and re-converted into matter, re-creating the exact chemical properties of Earl Grey tea instantly. Nobody is certain what sort of regulatory authorities exist in the federation, but technically that tea would be considered artificial by the FDA today.
Non-natural equivalent artificial flavors are those which do not exist in nature and are entirely designed and produced in a lab. The FDA requires ‘nature equivalent’ to be marked as artificial. This can confuse people because often you will see the term ‘natural and artificial flavors’ without knowing which artificial version it is. For the most part, the non-nature equivalent versions are the cheapest. For the most part, most tea that says artificial flavors is using the nature equivalent. Bottled teas or mass market products would probably have a higher probability of containing the pure artificial stuff. In either case, a good tea vendor would be able to let you know.
I’m a purist so I’m only interested in organic and real, actual flavorings that are made from the fruit or item being used. For Jasmine tea for example, I want only jasmine flowers in my green tea. The equivalents remind me of GMOs. We are the only first world country that allows GMOs in our food sources. I feel so disturbed by the FDA’s collusion with corporate America to mislead the general public with names like “natural”. GMO foods are NOT natural.
Nearly every food we consume is GMO. Most of what we eat did not exist in the ancient world. A domestic cow is not natural, nor is modern corn. So if you really wanted non GMO, you would need to revert to the diets of say, American Indians five centuries ago.
GMO when used to increase nutrient absorption of rice, that would aid in poor countries would be a benefit. Or a crop that could better withstand blight or drought. There is not on evidence that GMO used in this manner has caused any problems – and not using them in poor countries that have nutrient deficiency would result in actual harm.
However, I think the confusion or ethical issues come from using GMO to create resistance to pesticides so you can spray more chemicals on them. That process is actually harmful, not only to people who eat it but the entire ecosystem.
Governments cannot be trusted – which is why I am amazed that people think giving government more power will = better outcomes. My blue zone article is proof, no government program determined their outcome. Individuals need to take responsibility and educate themselves.
My understanding about GMO’s is that the body does not see them as natural plants and therefore sets off an inflammatory response to the foreign invaders. If you buy organic products, they are not GMO. I do understand that most people don’t eat only organic but that is the consequence to buying conventionally grown products. If it’s not organic, then it’s GMO most likely if it was produced in the U.S. Not so for items produced in the EU for example.
That is simply not true. The study the citied inflammation is highly flawed. Some non-GMO plants can cause inflammation. Some of these compounds are removed during cooking. (This taken from the book : The Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry).
Going back to my original statement – every modern fruit/plant/grain is not natural. It was a result of centuries of cross breeding. Scientists can just fast forward that process. That doesn’t automatically make it bad or harmful. If I can product a rice grain that contains more vitamin A – to prevent malnutrition – then that positives outweighs a ‘perceived negative’
Is there a study the has two groups of people – eating well balanced, whole foods – one with GMO and one with out? No. If you look at the whole GMO thing, it’s a lot of quack sites that peddle that narrative. Their is no balance. Of course sites with names like natural news, and other disseminators of alarmism will pull ANY study that follows their narrative front and center.
I had this issue when one of them implied that all Rooibos is irradiated and their version wasn’t (which is false). I just follow the money, and look at the studies.
BTW – California is weighing requiring companies to label coffee as causing cancer. Insanity!
Perhaps we should agree to disagree. Of course some natural foods cause inflammation in the body. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s good for us. Some plants are poisonous in fact.
Natural cross breeding by farmers has gone on for many, many decades. That is quite different from genetically modified foods that we’re eating today……in my opinion and most of those in the alternative health care community. Why do you suppose the entire EU decided not to allow GMO foods to be grown on their soil?
If we’re talking about the FDA – they don’t protect us against anything really. Look at hormone replacement therapy. That had the gold seal of tests yet it was eventually said to cause cancer and stopped being routinely recommended to post menopausal women. We’re on our own out here I’m afraid. We must each take responsibility for our health and make informed decisions that we’re comfortable with.
I spend 50 years cross breeding to get BREED X, or I take 1 year using GMO to get BREED X. How is that different in the end?
EU banned it GMO true, but on what basis? They did it because of political pressure, not any evidence of harm. Germany said they would get rid of nuclear power, even though nobody died. Yet they burn more coal than before which kills people. Just because politicians decree something bad or good – doesn’t mean they are right.
Science is never absolute – we learn more and adjust. If the science about a medical procedure or what have you shows different results – then judgements need to be made, opinions revisited. And always follow the money.
Most of us have the luxury of choosing organic foods, or non-GMO. But there are a lot of countries that don’t have this option, and it does a disservice to the dirt poor who would benefit from GMO advantages where applicable.
Hopefully scientific advances will lead to better methods, like what they are doing in Holland with hydroponics will lessen the need for pesticides, chemicals, etc.
I appreciate what you’re saying Kevin. I’m not a scientist but those whom I trust in the alternative health community are universally opposed to GMO’s and the harm that they’re doing. I believe the EU banned GMO’s because of that perceived harm, not simply political pressure. Their health standards are much stronger than ours. The U.S.is ranked 38 on the list of countries around the world with good health care. I personally believe we’re top of the list for dealing with acute medical issues but do poorly with chronic health challenges that are plaguing our country and health care. I absolutely agree that science is never absolute. I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that our White House does not believe in Global warming.
They banned it on perceived harm..not actual.That is my point. What’s stopping government from banning anything they perceive harmful, i.e. coffe?
I don’t deny that there is a lot of problems with the health care system, the reliance on drugs for everything, etc. But the solutions I see are all money grabbing operations. I go back to blue zones – it’s simple, and no government forced it down their throat – it’s a cultural philosophy – I don’t know how else to put it. Whatever “health care” you put in place – it wont make a difference if you have a huge population that is sedentary and eats very poorly. GMO or not GMO won’t change this. It’s a cultural shift – much like Sputnick. Enough people have to get real sick, where they start changing. It happened with smoking – so it can happen with taking care of yourself.
Regardless if you believe in global warming or not – what is the end game? Go back to the pre-industrial era? Humans are much better adapting than litigating. The sun goes through 300 year cycles, of which we are entering a down turn (google sunspot activity) – which precedes ice ages and global cooling events. Historically speaking, humans do far worse off during cooling than warming. But either way, if the end game is to create jobs for bureaucrats, then I am going to be skeptical.
Lately, I have just fallen love with tea. The first time I was introduced to tea was with products like Lipton, but I just didn’t like drinking those teas with too much sugar or artificial sweetener, it just doesn’t sit right with me. But I remember giving tea another chance. I really loved my experience with this tea called dragon pearl, I just can’t seem to remember the brand of it though. Although recently, I have ran across a new tea, a red tea detox! It tastes wonderful, I’m not sure how to explain it, but I feel better, my body feels more healthy.
Thanks for sharing this informative post. I have just started taking tea after reading their health benefits, in fact, I have even started recommending Halmari Tea to all my friends; one of the best ones that I have used so far. Its been just 2 weeks and I have already started to feel the difference, I feel like light from inside as if I have lost few kilos.