What Are “Natural Flavors” in Supplements (And Why We Never Use Them)

If you’ve ever flipped over a supplement label, you’ve probably seen the phrase “natural flavors.” It sounds harmless, even healthy — but the reality is far different.

What Natural Flavors Really Are
“Natural flavors” are not fruit or herbs. They are lab-made formulas that can contain hundreds of undisclosed chemicals, solvents, and preservatives. Brands use them to standardize taste and cut costs, but the FDA doesn’t require companies to list what’s inside.

Why We Avoid Them
At Steel Monkey Superfoods, we believe in full transparency. If it’s in your product, you should know about it. That’s why we flavor with real fruit and vegetable powders — pineapple, tart cherry, beetroot — instead of chemical shortcuts.

The Clean Alternative
Clean taste is possible without natural flavors. Real ingredients, paired with monk fruit extract, create flavor that’s refreshing and simple.

That’s why all of our pre-workouts, electrolytes, and proteins are made with no natural flavors, no preservatives, and no additives.