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Real Ingredients – Do They Really Matter?
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Chris Whitehair
- Last Updated: August 31, 2025
The Benefits of Real Ingredients, Explained.
We were taught to identify fruits, vegetables, and animals from a very young age.
We were shown picturesque images of fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and small family farms with quaint red barns, and we learned that these are our food sources.
Eggs come from chickens. Blueberries come from bushes. Herbs come from gardens.
Associating these wholesome images with the food we buy in the grocery store and the meals we consume in restaurants is natural and expected.
Unfortunately, food production is much more complicated and industrialized—and has been for decades.
Turn over any processed food package, and you will inevitably see many long, hard-to-pronounce ingredient names that you probably have limited knowledge of.
Does anyone care for a little extra butylated hydroxyanisole or acesulfame-K?
Yeah, me neither.
Many additives are used to preserve food, but several are also used to enhance its color, flavor, or aroma.
Large food manufacturers strive for consistency so that their customers will continue buying their products.
This puts financial pressure on companies, leading to questionable practices that prioritize cost-effectiveness over wholesomeness.
Some of the most common additives found in processed food are flavor enhancers.
Artificial flavors and “natural flavors” are often found in our food products, and as a result, they have become generally accepted by the unsuspecting public.
Some educated consumers will avoid artificial flavors due to their potential health risks, but the term “natural flavors” seems safer and more approachable.
The problem is that the term is incredibly vague and misleading.
Let’s break down the differences between the two types of flavor additives.
What Are Artificial Flavors?
Artificial flavors are not derived from natural sources but from synthetic chemical compounds produced in a lab.
Companies create specific chemical formulas to mimic certain flavors we enjoy, but they are not required to specify what exactly is in these formulas.
The FDA classifies many of these artificial ingredients as “Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)” based on the “application of generally available and accepted scientific data, information, or methods.”
This leaves quite a bit of leeway as to what can be added to our food, and it is vastly different from those gratifying images of gardens and farms we conjure up in our heads while enjoying our food.
What Are Natural Flavors?
Natural flavors are substances extracted from natural sources, such as plants or animals, used to enhance the taste of foods.
According to the Environmental Working Group’s website, “natural flavors” are the fourth most common ingredient listed in EWG’s Food Scores, a list of 80,000 foods rated for nutrition and safety.
While natural flavors are not made in a lab, they do not necessarily have to come from the same source as the flavor might indicate.
Natural flavors may originate from our natural world, but they can also be derived from animal sources.
One particular substitute for vanilla flavoring, called castoreum, is derived from sacs near beaver anuses (but not the anus itself), and has been approved for the GRAS list.
While the flavoring does come from nature, it certainly has nothing to do with a hand-picked vanilla bean, nor does it evoke comforting feelings or images.
The problem with these formulated flavor additives is that our bodies become more accustomed to them and grow less impressed with what nature offers.
Imagine a child who loves orange-flavored drinks but won’t touch an actual orange.
Or the adult who loves pumpkin-spiced lattes but doesn’t prefer to eat actual cooked pumpkin.
Even if consumers are willing to accept the potential allergy or health risks associated with artificial and natural flavors, they are not reaping any significant health benefits from real ingredients.
Additionally, these natural and artificial flavors are permitted to contain compounds that enhance the taste of foods beyond their natural counterparts.
They can also make food taste fresher and even cut off the lingering effect on your tongue, so that you will want to eat more.
This is problematic for several reasons and can lead to severe health consequences.
There are numerous reasons why eating real ingredients is better for our bodies.
While it may seem self-explanatory, it’s good to have a list like the one below so we can occasionally remind ourselves why seeking out foods made with real ingredients is worth the effort and sometimes the higher cost.
The Most Important Benefits of Real Ingredients
1. Vitamins and Nutrients
The natural world is filled with foods that are rich in vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. These nutrients enhance the function of our bodily systems, including, but not limited to, the immune, circulatory, digestive, and neurological systems. When we obtain the essential nutrients we need, not only do we feel better, but our mood improves as well.
2. Antioxidants
These superstars contain special properties that can help our bodies defend against free radicals that cause cell damage. Free radicals have been linked to a range of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and vision loss. Antioxidants come in many different forms, and eating a diet rich in real fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even dark chocolate will ensure that our bodies have a diverse arsenal of these excellent fighters.
3. Probiotics
Our bodies are home to a plethora of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics. These microbes benefit us by controlling inflammation, supporting immunity, and equalizing the bad forms of bacteria that can make us sick. Probiotics are vital for gut health and digestion. The most beneficial forms of probiotics come from real foods and ingredients, not packaged or processed foods that have been supplemented.
4. No Surprises!
Seeking out foods made with real ingredients ensures that you eat the same food the label indicates. Additionally, eating real foods means you don’t have to worry about the emulsifiers, solvents, and preservatives that companies are not required to reveal in their flavor compounds.
5. No Tricks
Artificial and natural flavors sometimes contain elements that make foods taste bolder, fresher, or even less satisfying, prompting consumers to eat more and buy more. Eating whole foods conditions the taste buds to relish the flavors nature intended, thus leading to healthier food choices.
6. Peace of Mind
Having confidence in knowing exactly what is in your food and the food you serve to loved ones is priceless. You can rest assured that you are providing the necessary nutrition to support your health, as well as that of your family.
We Only Use Real Ingredients
Flower City Flavor Company is committed to using real ingredients in our products for all the above reasons.
The hot sauce, oil, and vinegar industry is littered with companies using natural flavors or artificial ingredients, but we believe we can do better than that.
We are especially proud of our newest creations that use real fruits and fresh herbs: Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar, Fig Balsamic Vinegar, Blood Orange Olive Oil, and Tuscan Herb Olive Oil.
It’s easy to see that choosing food products with real ingredients is beneficial to our health, our farmers, and our environment.
These ingredients are easy to read and understand.
Most importantly, you can sleep a little easier at night knowing exactly what is in your food.
