114. Natural and Artificial Flavors

How do flavorists capture the essence of a fruit and put it in a can of sparkling water, or a tub of yogurt? Zachary Crockett takes a bite.

• SOURCES:• Terry Miesle (linkedin.com/in/terrymiesle), master flavorist at Sensient Technologies Corporation.

• RESOURCES:• "Flavor and Well‐Being: A Comprehensive Review of Food Choices, Nutrition, and Health Interactions (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12082435)," by Sakhawot Hossain, Abdul Wazed, Sharmin Asha, Alomgir Hossen, Nur Muhammad Fime, Shamiha Tabassum Teeya, Lubna Yeasmin Jenny, Diptho Dash, and Islam Shimul (Food Science & Nutrition, 2025).
• "What is artificial banana flavor made of? A food neuroscientist reveals the truth (inverse.com/science/artificial-banana-flavor-r…)," by Elana Spivack (Inverse, 2024).
• "Are ‘Natural Flavors’ Really Natural? (nytimes.com/2019/02/01/well/eat/are-natural-fl…)" by Roni Caryn Rabin (New York Times, 2019).
• "The Inexorable Rise Of Synthetic Flavor: A Pictorial History (popsci.com/history-flavors-us-pictorial)," by Nadia Berenstein (Popular Science, 2015).
• "The Flavor Industry: From 1945-1995 (flavorchemists.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/…)," (Chemical Sources Association).

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