Three letters on a flavor label that most people skip right past — WONF. If you care about what goes into your food, you should know exactly what those three letters mean.
WONF stands for “with other natural flavors”
When a flavor label reads “natural lavender flavor WONF,” it means the product contains lavender flavor — but that lavender flavor has been supplemented with other natural flavoring agents that are not lavender. These additional flavors are used to enhance, round out, or extend the primary flavor while keeping manufacturing costs lower.
The critical word is “other.” A WONF lavender extract is not pure lavender. It is lavender plus something else — and that something else does not have to be disclosed beyond the catch-all term “natural flavors.”
Why manufacturers use WONF
Some botanical extracts are extraordinarily expensive to produce at scale. Pure Bulgarian rose extract, pure saffron, pure vanilla are among the most costly flavor ingredients in the world. WONF formulations allow manufacturers to stretch a small amount of the expensive ingredient with other natural flavors that complement or mimic it, bringing cost down while maintaining a labeling claim that sounds premium.
This is a legal and common practice in flavor manufacturing. It is also a practice that Angel Bake does not use.
What is in the “other natural flavors”?
This is the part that matters most to buyers who read labels carefully. The FDA defines natural flavors broadly: Any flavoring substance derived from plant or animal material through physical, microbiological, or chemical processes. That is a wide net. “Other natural flavors” in a WONF extract could include carrier compounds derived from unrelated plants, flavor modifiers that enhance sweetness, natural flavor chemicals isolated from other botanical sources, or masking agents that suppress off-notes.
None of these need to be named individually. They all travel under the label “natural flavors”, which tells you nothing about their origin, function, or sourcing.
Does WONF mean lower quality?
Not necessarily. WONF formulations can perform well in many applications. But they represent a different product category than a pure extract. If you are buying a lavender extract because you want pure lavender from a specific growing region, with the full terpene profile of the botanical. A WONF product will not deliver that.
Angel Bake and WONF
Every product in the Angel Bake Culinary Aromatics and Pure Infusions collection is WONF-free. Our Bulgarian lavender extract contains Bulgarian lavender. Our Bulgarian Rose extract contains Bulgarian Rose. Our Moroccan orange blossom extract contains Moroccan neroli Bigarade. Our Willamette Valley peppermint extract contains Willamette Valley peppermint.
Explore the Angel Bake Culinary Aromatics collection →
An Angel Bake post by Saena Baking Co.