What is an imitation extract?
The term “imitation” extract was popularized by McCormick & Co. and other manufacturers of retail bakery extracts to describe extracts containing artificial flavors. Although they are one and the same, consumers prefer the term imitation to artificial. Imitation extracts are typically less expensive than pure extracts and natural flavors. This is largely due to the fact that the synthetic flavor ingredients used to make imitation extracts are generally less expensive than their natural equivalents.
