There is something reassuring in that label that reads “natural aroma“. A reference to fruits caught in the sun, with perfumed herbs, to a clean world that enters our yogurt, or in the drink that we sip during meals. Yet, when you go to see what is hidden behind these two words, the feeling of naturalness clings. Because “natural aroma”, by the law, does not mean what many think.
From a legal point of view
In Europe, EC regulation 1334/2008 defines as “natural aroma” a aroma obtained from raw materials of natural origin. It seems simple, but it is not enough to fully understand what is of course. In fact, these raw materials they can suffer chemical and enzymatic processes, provided that the final result reproduces the desired flavor. It means that strawberry aroma can be obtained from corn or sawdust, provided that the final mixture is identical to what gives the strawberry flavor. “Natural”, in short,, indicates only the initial sourcenot the loyalty of the product to the food that recalls.
A detail that often escapes concerns the difference with the “aromas” and the “natural aromas of”. If on the label we read “natural lemon aroma”, it means that at least 95% of the aroma must come from the lemon itself. If, on the other hand, it is written simply “natural aroma”, that lemon taste can derive from any plant, mushroom or bacteriumprovided that the final chemical reproduces the desired taste.
Because the so -called natural aromas are used
The food industry uses these aromas To standardize the flavor and to guarantee a constancy that the fresh raw material does not allow. An orange can have a different flavor from another, an artificial aroma no. This practicality is accompanied by a lower cost and a Maggiore Shelf Lifebut often betrays the expectations of those who buyconvinced of eating something that comes from real fruit.
The process of creating a natural aroma usually involves enzymes or yeasts, controlled fermentations and specific chemical reactions. The result is a safe, tested and approved compound, which is part of food safety regulations. The fact is that remains a laboratory product, Created inside steel tanks, far from the sunny orchard we imagine.
Those who choose to buy products “with natural aromas” to eat in a healthier way, would do well to know these details. It is not an alarm, but an invitation to awareness. Eating consciously means Read the labels and know that, if we really want to enjoy the fragrance of vanilla, the best choice remains the berrynot a natural aroma that imitates it.
Greater awareness
. Often behind the green patina of the packs are hidden techniques that have nothing to do with the simplicity we are looking for at the table. If you really want an authentic taste, go back to the raw materialchoose real fruit, real spices, the herbs collected at the moment. After all, the flavor we seek is certainly not found in the laboratory: lives in the earth, in the air and in the hard work of those who cultivate. And in the freedom of those who know how to choose consciously.
