Q: Is Artificial Strawberry Flavor Vegan?

A: Possibly. Artificial flavor may be animal derived, vegetable derived or synthetically manufactured, and is not necessarily a vegan ingredient.

The federal definition of artificial flavor or artificial flavoring is “any substance, the function of which is to impart flavor, which is not derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof. Artificial flavor includes the substances listed in Secs. 172.515(b) and 182.60 of this chapter except where these are derived from natural sources (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, vol. 2, 2001, pp. 73–78).”