Thousands of the chemicals that are added to food as additives are either synthetic or naturally occurring.
Natural additives are obtained from plants or animals. Most of the potent known poisons occur naturally in plants, animals or microorganisms.
Many natural substances of plant origin are complex and contain molecules that cannot be easily dealt within the animal body. Synthetic additives are made in a laboratory using various chemicals. Synthetic substances are often simple and of greater purity.
Synthetic additive such as flavors represent the largest group of food additive and are used to replace more expensive natural flavor.
Both natural and artificial flavoring substances are regarded as foreign substances and may not be used unless specifically permitted in the regulation governing each group of products.
Natural and synthetic food additive