Natural and Artificial?

Russ did some cleaning out of the pantry today. I know, he’s good like that. He found a jar of Maraschino cherries we must have brought home from Maine. Why we brought them home I do not know. I am guessing they are from Maine because they came from Walmart and Maine is the only place we ever shop at Walmart.

Sometimes I like to make a mocktail with gosslings diet ginger beer, lime juice and a cherry with a splash of juice.

Since Russ found this wayward jar he asked me if I wanted a cherry in my watermelon, turmeric, ginger, lime mocktail. I said sure. Live big, it’s a holiday.

Then I got a look at the jar. “Natural and Artificial Flavor.” Nothing about a Maraschino Cherry screams natural. Just look at the color. Now I am certain at one point the cherry was natural, before it was soaked in sugar syrup and zapped with some laser to make it neon red.

My issue is with the need to label Natural and Artificial Flavor above the name. I’m sure it’s a full disclosure thing, but once you add anything artificial doesn’t that cancel out any natural part? For the .79¢ these things cost can you have any illusion they are a high percentage of natural?

In order to label something natural shouldn’t it be 100% natural? A drop of artificial means that it is tainted.

I am not complaining about these cherries being artificial, I bought them expecting them to be. I don’t believe in spending $26 for those all natural cocktail cherries. I would prefer to go without the cherry all together rather than spend $26. I grew up in the sixties and drank plenty of strawberry Quick. What the hell do you think was in that?

Let’s just label these Cherries, artificial with a hint of real cherry. No one who buys them is expecting anything more.