Tea Industry News and Features

Certified Organic Flavors Now Required for Certification

By Scott Svihula January 22, 201

The National Organic Program (NOP) published a final rule that amends the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). This rule will be fully implemented January 28, 2019, with the exception of the amendments for the substances ivermectin, flavors, cellulose, and glycerin, which will be implemented December 27, 2019.  The new ruling on flavors requires the use of organically certified flavors whenever commercially available. Since the USDA did not post guidelines or list what is commercially available, each certifying agency will have its own set of requirements, ranging from a simple form to more complex documentation. Regardless, any certified organic tea using natural flavors under the 95 percent rule will need to be re-evaluated using organic certified flavors or collect documentation that its needed flavor is not commercially available. Each agency will have to determine if a flavor is considered commercially available or not at this time.  To read the final rule in its entirety, please reference the federal register here.

Bergamot fruit (Getty Images/NakornChaiyajina)

Most flavors used in the tea industry are organic compliant natural non-GMO flavors, but these will no longer qualify for certification. Certified organic flavors will have to be used if commercially available.

The definition for commercial availability is in the rule 205.2 Terms defined. “Commercially available. The ability to obtain a production input in an appropriate form, quality, or quantity to fulfill an essential function in a system of organic production or handling, as determined by the certifying agent in the course of reviewing the organic plan.” The reason why something is not commercially available must comply with the definition above: form, quality or quantity to fulfill an essential function and must not be based on price.

This poses several questions that are currently unanswered. For example, let’s take strawberry. There are many ways to make a strawberry flavor: typical strawberry used in kids’ drinks and medicines, red ripe strawberry, sweet slightly over ripened strawberry, unripe strawberry, wild strawberry, earthy strawberry, candied strawberry, etc. Even though certified organic strawberry flavor is readily available; can it be made organically in all these variations? Since each certifying agency will be making their own determination of what is considered “commercially available”, if one company submits strawberry as organically certified, will that mean that for that agency everyone will need to use certified organic strawberry flavor, even if your specific taste profile is not available? What about flavor suppliers? What if the flavor supplier you use and have partnered with cannot make your flavor certified organic? Is there an expectation that you would need to find another supplier to make it certified organic before you state it is not “commercially available”? And how many flavor companies will you need to contact? As you may know, not all flavor houses know how to create flavors for tea, some excel at this while others struggle. Not to mention that, certified organic flavors are typically about 20-30 percent costlier and have about 1/3 the strength in aroma and taste.

In talking to several tea manufacturers, the decision of what to do next will be challenging. There are basically 3 paths to take to comply with this new regulation.

1. To keep your organic certification, change the application of your 95% certified organic flavored teas to the 70%/30% category. The new ruling does not affect this category; though you will not be able to use the USDA seal. (see chart below for more details)
2. Drop the 95% certified organic flavored teas from your organic certification; though you would only be able to mark the ingredients as organic in the ingredient statement. This could cause confusion with your customers, and if you are not certifying these, does it make sense to certify any of your teas?
3. Work with your flavor supplier (and most likely other flavor suppliers) to create the same tasting flavor but in a certified organic form; knowing this will drive up the cost of goods. Once approved, you will wait 3-12 weeks to get the certification from the flavor company and then another 3-12 weeks to get your flavored tea certified. With a December 27^th deadline, you will need to start working on this change over now and have the new flavors approved by the end of the second quarter.

Regardless of the route you take for your business, the decision is not an easy one to make. This new requirement for certified organic flavors will in some way affect your bottom line and will inevitably cause confusion for consumers and reduce the number of certified flavored teas (and other organic flavored products) available. My recommendation is to seek out support from your flavor houses, industry peers, and industry consultants who specialize in blend development and product sourcing to help your company navigate through these options.

 FINAL RULE – FLAVORS

Peppermint (Getty Images/Amy_Lv)

“Flavors The final rule amends the National List to revise the annotation of flavors in § 205.605(a) to change the allowance for nonorganic flavors to require the use of organic flavors when they are commercially available. The listing of flavors in paragraph (a) reads as follows: Flavors—non-synthetic flavors may be used when organic flavors are not commercially available. All flavors must be derived from organic or nonsynthetic sources only and must not be produced using synthetic solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative. This rule retains requirements that all flavors must be derived from organic or nonsynthetic sources only and must not be produced using synthetic solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative. This rule applies to products in the ‘‘organic’’ and ‘‘made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))’’ categories. This rule change does not apply to nonorganic ingredients that may be used in up to 30 percent of ‘‘made with organic’’ products. Due to the number of distinctly different natural flavors and the pace of new product development in flavors, AMS has determined it would be impractical to list individual flavors on the National List to indicate which are commercially available in organic form. AMS has reviewed and agrees with the NOSB recommendation that the annotation for flavors be amended to clarify its use in organic handling. AMS received comments on the proposed rule for amending the annotation.”

ORGANIC CATEGORIES

100% Organic	•       All organic ingredients •       Any processing aids must be organic •       Flavors must be certified organic •       No non-organic ingredients are used •       USDA seal allowed •       Must list organic certification agency •       List ingredients as organic in ingredient statement
Organic 95% Rule	•       At least 95% organic ingredients •       Remaining 5% can be non-organic allowed ingredients •       Flavors must be certified organic when commercially available •       All agricultural ingredients must be organic unless not available •       USDA seal allowed •       Must list certification agency •       List ingredients as organic in ingredient statement
Made with Organic Ingredients 70%/30% Rule	•       At least 70% organic ingredients •       Remaining 30% can be non-organic allowed ingredients or non-organic agricultural ingredients •       Flavors must be natural non-gmo organic compliant •       USDA seal prohibited •       Must list certification agency •       List ingredients as organic in ingredient statement
Products with less than 70% Organic Ingredients	•       Any level of organic ingredients •       No restriction on remaining ingredients •       No certification claims can be made •       USDA seal PROHIBITED •       Only mention organic in ingredient listing

natural flavors and essential oils in tea

11.08.10
natural flavors and essential oils in tea
Posted in T Ching - blog
by Zhena Muzyka


At Zhena’s Gypsy Tea, we get an enormous number of calls from tea drinkers asking what “natural” as in “natural flavors” means. Tea drinkers are increasingly aware that “natural” is a loose term that can mean almost anything - and they are right.

The FDA loopholes on flavorings are vast, rendering the term “natural” meaningless if there is no organic certification attached that ensures auditing of ingredients and labeling laws. Organic certification ensures auditing, a level of checks and balances that would not otherwise be implemented regarding tea production.

Standards committees at retailers have created lists of chemicals that are not allowed in the products they sell, but there is not a standards committee verifying that manufacturers’ ingredients are free of these chemicals. The only way to ensure you are not ingesting chemicals when sipping flavored teas is to buy flavored teas that are certified organic.

The history of flavored teas began in China with the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-906), during which teas were flavored with plum juice, cloves, ginger, peppermint, onions, and salts.

The Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) began the use of essential oils in tea - lightly blending their leaves with essences of lotus, jasmine petals, and chrysanthemum. According to The Book of Tea, the higher classes preferred scented and flavored teas, showing themselves to be more adventurous in taking tea.

According to The Sage Report’s US Tea is Hot Report:

“For every ten pounds sold of the higher end specialty teas - those selling over thirty dollars per pound - one hundred pounds of specialty flavored tea reaches US consumers’ cups. The middle tea market…flavored, delicious, aromatic and nicely packaged, will outpace the growing but supply-restricted (annual output for the next 5-10 years) stocks of unflavored, long leaf, orthodox teas. Purists may cringe, but the mega-marketers are gearing up for a specialty tea future that is flavored, flowered and spiced.”

Flavor Terminology

To clarify flavor terminology for our tea drinkers, I use the following descriptions:

Artificial Flavor: A flavor derived from 100% synthetic materials (not found in nature), such as Ethyl Vanillin, which is listed on the ingredients statement of some milk chocolate bars.

Nature-Identical Flavor: A term used mostly in Europe. All ingredients are man-made, but are also found naturally occurring in nature. An example is vanillin, which occurs naturally as white crystals on a vanilla bean after curing. Vanillin also has a nature-identical version (artificial) derived through the processing of lignin, which is a by-product of paper manufacturing and is an economical source of man-made vanillin. Man-made vanillin has the same chemical structure as natural vanilla. However, due to the fact it does not come from a natural source, it is termed NATURE-IDENTICAL. Both categories - ARTIFICIAL and NATURE-IDENTICAL - are coded in the United States as ARTIFICIAL.

Natural & Artificial Flavor: A flavor derived from natural and artificial ingredients.

Natural Flavor: A flavor derived 100% from the title material. An example would be a Natural Cherry Flavor, which is derived entirely from cherries. (Many companies use this term for any and all types of flavors.)

Natural WONF Flavor: This flavor must contain at least one ingredient from the title source, such as cherry. All other ingredients must come from other natural sources.

Natural Flavor Blend Flavor: All ingredients in this flavor must be natural, but none are derived from the title material. A Cherry Type Flavor, NFB is derived from 100% natural chemicals, essential oils, oleoresins, floral absolutes, solid extracts, fluid extracts, distillates, juices, and essences, but none of these ingredients are derived from cherries.

How Flavors are Created

Natural flavors are usually distilled, while artificial flavors are a blend of chemical compounds, even plastics! An example of an artificial flavor carrying agent is Propylene Glycol, which is a colorless, viscous, hygroscopic liquid. It serves as a humectant - a substance that retains moisture content. It makes the skin feel moist and soft and keeps products from drying out.

Propylene Glycol is used in anti-freeze, brake and hydraulic fluid, de-icers, paints and coatings, floor wax, laundry detergents, and tobacco, as well as in cosmetics, toothpastes, shampoos, deodorants, lotions, processed food, dog food, and many more personal care products.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Propylene Glycol states:

“Implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities; can inhibit skin cell growth in human tests and can damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage.

Acute Effects: May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. May cause eye irritation, skin irritation, gastro-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vomiting, and central nervous system depression.”

Natural Carrying Agent - Alcohol

Alcohol has been made for thousands of years - it’s a compound of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, produced when glucose is fermented by yeast. During the making of alcoholic drinks, the alcohol content is controlled by the amount of yeast and the duration of fermentation.

Fruits are used to make wines and ciders, and cereals, such as barley and rye, form the basis of beers and spirits. These substances provide the flavor associated with each individual drink. Alcohol bases evaporate during the blending process, leaving the flavor behind to work its magic on our taste buds.

Shelf Life: Natural flavors last up to one year under favorable storage methods, while artificial flavors last two solid years. Essential oils like Earl Grey’s oil of Bergamot will only last 4-8 months, while natural raspberry is reported to last only 2 weeks.

Volatility: Natural flavors tend to be more volatile than artificial. This means that they evaporate more quickly and are changeable and inconsistent - in one word, fickle.

Scent Effects

Natural scents and flavors can enhance and change moods, like clinical aromatherapy, while artificial flavors do not have the same olfactory effects. Basically, natural flavors contain the sunshine, while artificial flavors made in a lab lack it. I call my blends, “Sunshine in a cup,” due to their pure flavors. Here are some great aromatherapy benefits when using real essential oils. You can view my aromatherapy chart for tea blending at gypsytea.com.

1. Bergamot oil reduces appetite.
2. Jasmine, Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Orange Blossom are all aphrodisiacs.
3. Bergamot, Lemon, and Rose are antiviral.
4. Bergamot, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Orange, and Lemon Verbena are antidepressants.
5. Cardamom, Juniper, Lemongrass, and Rosemary alleviate boredom and stimulate mental clarity and attentiveness.
6. Fennel, Lime, and Lemon are great detoxifiers.
7. Anise, Bergamot, Cardamom, Fennel, and Rosemary aid digestion.
8. Rose, Jasmine, and Grapefruit induce euphoric emotions.
9. Emotional coldness can be warmed by using Black Pepper, Ginger, and Grapefruit.
10. Jasmine, Lavender, and Lemon relieve headaches.
11. Chamomile and Lavender are for sleep.
12. Menopausal hot flashes can be lessened with Fennel and Roman Chamomile.
13. Poor memory is helped with Cardamom, Peppermint, and Lemongrass.
14. Bad breath is lessened with Bergamot, Cardamom, and Peppermint.
15. Bergamot, Chamomile, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon and Lemongrass, Orange Rose, Pine, and Tangerine are all used to east tension and stress.
16. PMS is helped by Bergamot, Rose, and Tangerine!

Here’s to your health, dear tea drinker! I hope this helped you gain the knowledge to be empowered to make the best choices for you and your health when it comes to flavored and scented tea options.

Original Article and more from T Ching found here: http://www.tching.com/2010/11/natural-flavors-and-essential-oils-in-tea/