# What are artificial flavors made out of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2000, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361 "2000-10-10T03:29:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dan\_Tana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Tana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Tana)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/1 "2000-10-10T03:29:59Z")
Where do they get the “chemicals” for the artificial flavors we eat? And who gives them those discusting names like RED DYE #5? ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/2 "2000-10-10T03:44:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dan Tana \* > \*\*Where do they get the “chemicals” for the artificial flavors we eat? And who gives them those discusting names like RED DYE #5? \*\* Back in the late 60’s the same scientists that gave us polyester and rayon came up with a whole slew of artificial plants. They are raised in a secret location, and harvested by blind deaf/mutes. A secret process turns them into artificial colors and flavors. Sorry, couldn’t resist. ---
**Author:** ![absoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/3 "2000-10-10T04:04:11Z")
who created them? who knows… artificial vs. natural [http://www.wildflavors.com/wanswers/190.cfm](http://www.wildflavors.com/wanswers/190.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/4 "2000-10-10T06:25:38Z")
Natural flavors are generally complex mixtures of very many different chemicals. In some cases, the “artificial” flavor is a laboratory-made chemical that is identical to only the primary constituent of the natural mixture. Some examples of flavorful chemicals and what they taste like: aldehydes: benzaldehyde -almonds vanillin - vanilla cinnamaldehyde - cinnamon esters: ethyl formate - rum pentyl acetate - banana octyl acetate - orange methyl butyrate - apple ethyl butyrate - pineapple pentyl butyrate - apricot methyl salicylate - wintergreen ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/5 "2000-10-10T11:19:31Z")
I heard of an entrepreneur who discovered a way to extract the chemical that gives lemons their smell from old tires. He can’t get FDA approval for its use in food items, but he’s been selling it to cleanser manufacturers for a tidy sum. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/6 "2000-10-10T13:47:41Z")
Just for the record, red dye #5 is an artificial color, not a flavor. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/7 "2000-10-10T13:51:52Z")
I used to work a couple blocks from one of Bush Boake Allen’s flavor processing plants.(BBA makes all kinds of flavors and smells) When they would make the artificial butter stuff for microwave popcorn, I wouldn’t go to work-the smell would make me gag. Even now, I can’t stand the smell of MW popcorn until it is cooked. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/8 "2000-10-10T14:46:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Connor \* > \*\*Just for the record, red dye #5 is an artificial color, not a flavor. \*\* But it _tastes_ red! :D:D ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/9 "2000-10-10T15:03:09Z")
The red dye #5 name is disgusting? Would you rather have “coal tar derivative #92” or something like that? BTW, bibliophage, are you sure bananas aren’t amyl acetate? That’s the stuff which SMELLS like bananas at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/10 "2000-10-10T20:12:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > \*\*BTW, bibliophage, are you sure bananas aren’t amyl acetate? That’s the stuff which SMELLS like bananas at any rate. > \*\* It’s been a long time since chemistry class, but as far as I can tell, pentyl acetate = amyl acetate = banana oil = pear oil [?!] = CH[sub]3[/sub]COOC[SUB]5[/SUB]H[SUB]11[/SUB] Bananas and pears don’t smell all that similar to me, but what do I know. ---
**Author:** ![LazarusLong42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/11 "2000-10-10T21:20:43Z")
Specifically, banana oil is _iso_amyl acetate: CH[sub]3[/sub]COOC[sub]3[/sub]H[sub]5/sub[sub]2[/sub] And FTR, amyl == pentyl. The former is the old name. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/12 "2000-10-10T21:46:32Z")
You guys are completely avoiding the real issue. [heston]Red dye #5 is made out of PEOPLE! It’s PEOPLE!!![/heston] \*Those heston tags stand for the young Charlton. Later versions of the Charlton API call for [nra4evr]. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/13 "2000-10-11T00:12:33Z")
Artificial flavors and colors are extracted from all of those artificial flowers and plants (this includes wax fruit). _(It has always amused me that Pledge Spray Wax for furniture has more natural lemon derivatives than Country Time Lemonade.)_ ---
**Author:** ![LazarusLong42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-artificial-flavors-made-out-of/36361/14 "2000-10-11T01:40:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > _**(It has always amused me that Pledge Spray Wax for furniture has more natural lemon derivatives than Country Time Lemonade.)**_ One word: Ewwwwwww. Though I don’t suppose that’s actually a word. LL