Brown Sugar & Natural Flavor

Brown sugar is a type of sucrose sugar that contains molasses, giving it a distinctive brown color and flavor. It is made either by processing sugarcane or sugar beets, or by adding molasses back to refined white sugar. Natural flavor refers to a substance extracted, distilled, or otherwise derived from a natural source like a spice, fruit, vegetable, or plant, whose main purpose is to add flavor rather than nutrition.

Brown sugar is primarily used as a sweetener and to add a caramel-like flavor to foods, while also helping to retain moisture. Natural flavors are added to foods to impart specific tastes, such as fruity, savory, or sweet notes, without significantly changing the nutritional content.

Brown sugar is a source of added sugars, and the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no amount of added sugars. The FDA considers brown sugar to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS). JECFA has evaluated sucrose and established an acceptable daily intake. Natural flavors are regulated by the FDA, which considers many of their components to be GRAS or approved food additives. The safety of specific natural flavor components is evaluated by regulatory bodies like JECFA.