A Brother writes: I would like to share this information, perhaps it may benefit others. Many Halaal conscious Muslims who constantly check the ingredient list of products before purchasing might get caught in the trap of the term ‘nature identical flavor’. It gives the impression that the flavouring is as good as natural. However it is not. It is actually completely chemical and 100% unnatural.
Regarding the chemicals and methods used to produce these ‘nature identical flavors’, one will find great difficulty in getting accurate information from manufacturers, especially with regards to ethanol and alcohols used as catalysts in the manufacturing processes of these flavourants.
‘Nature identical flavors’ are very often found in fruit juices that have the deceptive label of ‘100% fruit juice blend’. The 100% claim gives the impression the juice is pure however the word ‘blend’ means a blend of the fruit juice with any chemical muck they wish to put in.
Due to the high cost or unavailability of natural flavour extracts, most commercial flavourants are “nature-identical”, which means that they are the chemical equivalent of natural flavours, but chemically synthesized rather than being extracted from source materials.
Juice flavoured drinks, fruit juice cocktails and fruit juice blends may only be five to 15 percent fruit juice. Look on the product label to find the percentage of fruit juice. The only way to confirm if your fruit juice is 100 percent pure is to read the ingredient list.D