A single synthetic flavor or fragrance may contain a few to several hundred separate chemicals, most of which are derived from petroleum. One artificial raspberry flavoring is comprised of, for instance, vanillin, ethylvanillin, alphaionone, maltol, 1-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-3-butanone, dimethyl sulphide, and 2,5-dimethyl-N-(2-pyrazinyl) pyrrole. The formulas of most synthetic flavorings and fragrances are, however, unknown to the general public because they are protected by law as private information. Thus, consumers who may have allergies to certain chemicals or who are concerned about the health effects of synthetic substances have little opportunity to make informed choices in their purchases since the information they need is not required to be provided on labeling. Making the issue of informed purchasing decisions even more difficult is the fact that items advertised as “fragrance-free” may actually contain fragrances because the term only officially implies that a product does not exude any odor than may be detected by the consumer. Thus, fragrances may be utilized in these products, but only to mask or counteract other odors emitted by raw materials