This article originally appeared on the ORGANIC INDIA USA blog.
HIGH-QUALITY HERBAL EXTRACTS
We’ve known for decades that phrase, “natural flavours,” found at the bottom of ingredient lists on consumer products has typically been very misleading shorthand for hiding all sorts of unnatural synthetic and often toxic things in products.
And so we really want you to know that when you see reference to “natural flavours” on our Tulsi Tea boxes you are not just getting something that is truly natural, but incredible pure nectarous extracts of high-quality herbs and spices.
CERTIFIED USDA NOP ORGANIC & EUROPEAN EEC ORGANIC
All the extracts that are blended together to make our flavours are certified organic according to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) as recorded in 7 CFR § 205. They are also certified organic according to European EEC Organic standards.
KOSHER CERTIFIED
All flavours are kosher as the manufacturing facility is a complete kosher house under KOF-K supervision, and all are certified as kosher parve.
ALL NATURAL & WITHOUT GMOs
All ingredients are natural, none of them are synthetic, and none are made with GMO ingredients (ORGANIC INDIA is actively opposed to GMOs), and none of them are made from irradiated ingredients.
ALL EXTRACT SOLVENTS ARE ORGANIC
The acceptable solvents for our organic or organic compliant flavours are water, natural ethanol (alcohol), super-critical carbon dioxide, authentic essential oil, and natural vegetable oils. No hydrocarbon solvents or halogenated solvents are ever used. Hexane extraction is another process we do not use.
EXTRACT PROCESSING IS NOP COMPLIANT
Not only do the herbs have to be organic, but the lab in which they are made is and must be certified organic and NOP compliant. This is important because there is no point to growing organic herbs, only to process them in machines coated with toxic residue. All of the facilities in which ORGANIC INDIA products are processed are certified organic!
IT IS WHAT IS SAYS IT IS
If a flavour is named “Natural Mango Flavour,” then guess what, it will be made from organic mangos. If it says “Rose Flavour” then it is made from organic roses. Basically, by adding high-quality flavours we are also increasing the medicinal facets of these herbal blends.
NON-FLAVOUR INGREDIENTS ARE ALSO HIGH-QUALITY
Some of the ingredients in the flavours are there for reasons other than taste, for instance, citric acid (a natural preservative). Even these non-flavour ingredients are top quality.
FLAVOUR ISOLATES
Isolates are products physically separated or extracted from the named source. They adhere to all current FDA and European definitions of natural flavour, they are certified organic to USDA NOP requirements and some also to EU organic requirements.
FLAVOUR CONCENTRATES
The concentrates are generally created during the manufacture of our distillates and then further refined. Concentrates can contribute heavy, base notes and mouth feel. They also contain many nutrients such as polyphenols and phytochemicals.
FLAVOUR DISTILLATES
These distillates are atmospherically distilled and contain no nutrient value, but provide excellent top notes to our flavours.
