Naturally Does It

When I was growing up my grandfather used to tell me a particularly bad joke: “When is a door not a door? When it’s ajar.” I used to think this joke was pretty funny as I imagined our front door becoming a large jar, usually full of jelly, rather than contemplating the play on words the joke actually represented. Today, when I talk to friends about the F&F industry, I use a similar line: “When is a strawberry not a strawberry? When it’s a strawberry flavor.” After some simple explanation on how flavors are created, their normal reply to this is: “What? Even when it’s a natural flavor?” And here the can of worms opens. Just what is natural? How does legislation affect the flavorist and what he or she is trying to achieve? How can material suppliers help—or in fact hinder—this process?