Glossary of All Natural Ingredient Terms:

Annatto: A naturally derived color from the seed of the Annatto tree.

Carrageenan: This ingredient, used to thicken and stabilize a variety of foods.  It is extracted from red seaweed found in the Atlantic Ocean.  Carrageenan was first isolated from the carrageen moss in 1844.

Cellulose Gum: Cellulose gum is a water-soluble derivation of the most abundant polymer in nature, cellulose.  It acts as a thickener and stabilizer.  Cellulose gum is derived from natural sources from seeds in the legume family.

Citric Acid: Citric acid is an organic acid found in citrus fruits. It is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic (sour) taste to foods.  It also serves as an environmentally benign cleaning agent and acts as an antioxidant.  Citric acid exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, but it is most concentrated in lemons and limes, where it can comprise as much as 8% of the dry weight of the fruit.

Guar Gum: Guar gum is derived from the ground endosperm of the guar plant found in India and Pakistan.  Some studies have found that it may help people lower cholesterol, possibly due to the soluble fiber content of guar. 

Sodium Citrate: Salt derived from citric acid in milk.  This increases the solubility of proteins and adds to the stability to the sherbet.

Modified Food Starch: A modified food starch is a complex carbohydrate which has been altered to change some of its qualities. The changes may affect the texture, the ease with which the starch dissolves, or how readily the starch can be digested. Modified food starches are used in processed foods as thickeners or as formulation aids to help maintain a desired texture. Modified food starches are usually derived from a naturally occurring food starch.

Mono and Diglycerides: Mono and diglycerides are made from oil (usually soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, or palm oil) and act as emulsifiers (provide a consistent texture). In ice cream and sherbet, they serve as stabilizers, which give foods body and improve consistency.