Understanding Flavouring Agents in Food Production

Flavour is the summation of sensations induced by chemical compounds present in what is eaten and drunk, in equilibrium at the time of consumption. Flavours can be developed from diverse processes and source materials.

To standardize high product quality, food production without flavouring is simply inconceivable. This article examines flavouring agents, including the process of flavour creation, raw materials, production of flavour, functions and utilization of flavours, and flavour safety.

Defining Flavour in Agricultural Products

What is a flavour? A consumer, when describing a flavour, has most senses at work. The description of a flavour might be influenced by a psychological response to the sight (colour, shape, appearance, etc.) of the item.

Touch and hearing also affect one’s judgement of taste and odour. A trained judge or an expert, on the other hand, tries not to be influenced by stimulation of senses other than taste and odour.

Hall directed his definition to cover flavour perception: “Flavour is the sum of those characteristics of any material taken in the mouth, perceived principally by the senses of taste and smell, and also the general pain and tactile receptors in the mouth, as received and interpreted by the brain.”

The Society of Flavour Chemists formulated in 1969 the following definition of the product itself: “A flavour is a substance which may be a single chemical entity, or a blend of chemicals of natural or synthetic origin, whose primary purpose is to provide all or part of the particular effect to any food or other product taken in the mouth.”

The International Organization of the Flavour Industry (IOFI) defined flavours from the industry’s point of view: “Concentrated preparation, with or without solvents or carriers, used to impart flavour, with the exception of only salty, sweet, or acid tastes. It is not intended to be consumed as such.”

According to the Council of Europe: “Flavouring is a substance which has predominantly odour-producing properties and which possibly affects the taste.”

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Flavour chemists’ approach to the creation of a flavour varies, depending on the nature of the project and their training. The oldest and simplest method is the artistic approach. The second approach is to combine art with scientific know-how. The third approach is to follow nature’s footsteps and develop flavours biosynthetically.

Artistic Approach to Flavour Development

In this approach, the artistic powers of the flavour chemist are at work. The food flavour to be developed for example, butter may have its flavour profile described as typical buttery, cooked, cheesy, waxy, creamy, and nutty. At this stage, the flavour chemist tries to associate the flavour profile of the model food with the raw materials that would serve as the building block in the process of flavour reconstitution.

Each flavour chemist has a unique interpretation and association. A theoretical simplification of four flavour profiles is shown in Tables 1–4. This is the stage of dreaming and planning that precedes preliminary formulations and bench trials.

Scientific Approach to Flavour Creation

The artistic approach is used along with scientific knowledge. With the introduction of chromatographic analysis in the early 1960s, new horizons were opened that allowed flavour creations that rivalled nature in their quality.

The utilization of chromatography, along with various other analytical techniques, has helped the flavour chemist gain a better understanding of nature’s process in producing flavours. This knowledge is used in combination with the artistic skills of the flavour chemist to create unique flavours.

Biosynthetic Approach to Flavour Production

In this approach, the biochemist attempts to duplicate nature’s biogenetic pathways. Although science has not yet unlocked many of nature’s secrets in developing its flavours, some of the known enzymatic and fermentation reactions are crudely exploited to produce building blocks.

Under primary origin, flavours of purely biological origin, with little human interference, are listed. Secondary origin flavours, mainly produced through technology, are clearly differentiated. Enzymatically modified cheeses, fermented fruits and wine, and cooked and roasted foods are just a few examples.

Recent Advances in Flavour Creation Technology

Flavour companies are using computer technology to assist the flavourist in their creative task. Many companies have introduced systems where a flavourist has access to a database of thousands of different flavour preparations.

By doing selective searches through this database, the flavourist can retrieve a starting formulation which meets specific parameters (e.g., liquid, natural, kosher, and heat stable).

From there, the flavourist can tailor a new formulation that meets a specific customer’s needs. By the use of this type of technology, the time to develop a new flavour has been reduced significantly.

Raw Materials for Flavour Production

Components used to compound flavours are either natural or synthetic. Table 7 illustrates the sources of raw materials available to flavourist chemists. The number of synthetic chemicals permitted for use in food flavours changes on a constant basis due to reviews by authorities.

Synthetic Chemicals in Flavour Compounding

Only selected chemicals are permitted for use in flavour compounding. Chemicals are evaluated for safety, and approved for use when shown to be innocuous. Chemicals identified in natural materials are not allowed simply on the basis of their occurrence in nature.

It is important to note that if such a chemical is proven to be harmful, it will not be permitted (examples: coumarin, safrole, thujone). On the other hand, chemicals not yet found in nature might be permitted when they are proved to be safe (examples: ethyl vanillin, dibenzyl ether, glycol acetate). Tables 8 and 9 provide examples of some organic components used in flavours.

Natural Raw Materials in Flavour Production

Since the flavour industry is primarily concerned with the sensory quality of materials, it is very rare that a spice or any other natural food product is used in its native form. The spice or food is processed to separate the chemical compounds from the neutral matrix (cellulose, fibre, pectin, etc.).

The goal is to produce the utmost concentration of aromatic chemicals within the minimum amount of neutral components at the most desirable combination of cost, flavour profile, and stability. In practice, one criterion will usually have to be sacrificed to gain the other advantages required.

Production Processes for Flavour Compounds

In flavour production, there is no substitute for good manufacturing practices and experienced, conscientious employees for producing finished flavour compounds.

The production know-how in this industry is not in the area of sophisticated production equipment but rests, rather, in well-trained staff. The main objective of the production is to ensure the following:

1. Good maintenance and handling of the multitude of raw materials used in production
2. Strict adherence to formula and process instructions
3. Compliance to sanitation and safety rules

For further information, readers are referred to the Code of Practice for the Flavour Industry published by IOFI. Due to the diversity of raw materials and formulations, the flavour industry follows the same strict rules that the pharmaceutical industry adheres to.

Quality Assurance and Control in Flavour Production

It is important for the flavour industry to make the distinction and differentiate between the two functions. This task of reproducing the sensory quality of a flavour will be achieved through quality assurance backed up by quality control.

Quality assurance uses preventive measures, applied directly to employees and systems, to eliminate problems at their roots.

Quality assurance begins with flavour chemists, who must realize that quality starts with their formulations and that whatever process or ingredients are utilized must be exactly reproducible in commercial production.

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Functions and Utilization of Flavours in Food Products

The role of a flavour is simply to impart sensory pleasure to a good, beverage, tobacco, or pharmaceutical, and in doing so it serves a diverse function. It is important to understand the function expected of the flavour so that the type best suited for this function can be delivered.

Economic Functions of Flavours

Obviously, a simulated flavour or an extender must have economic benefits; otherwise, it defeats the purpose of its application. Some healthful, nutritional food preparations might have undesirable tastes (e.g., soya and vitamins).

Flavours that can modify their taste and make these nutritional, economical food preparations more palatable would be desirable. Another example of this application is the use of flavour to compensate for flavour losses in food processing or to extend freshness during storage.

Physiological Functions of Flavours

Various studies on taste and fat digestion provide some indication that taste can alter the metabolic response to a fatty meal. Research on taste and intestinal absorption of glucose proposes that oral stimulation affects intestinal absorption. Monell has recently expanded into the following areas:

1. Chemosensory function and dietary preferences in disease
2. Intravenous feeding and appetite
3. Sodium intake and preference for salty foods
4. Saliva composition and taste perception

Psychological Functions of Flavours

Although the main role of a flavour is to provide sensory pleasure, psychological analysis of this pleasure can greatly assist in proper flavour selection.

Applications of Flavours in Agriculture-Based Products

Flavours are applied to various products in the food, beverage, tobacco, pharmaceutical, and oral hygiene areas. Lately, some applications have extended to other segments such as the toy industry. Flavoured products fall into two categories:

1. Flavour-dependent: These are foods and beverages that cannot exist without the application of flavours. Examples are hard-boiled candy, chewing gum, carbonated and non-juice drinks, gelatin desserts, and powdered artificial beverages.

2. Flavour-independent: These are products that can be marketed without flavours or for which flavours are legally prohibited. Examples of the first type of product are crackers, cereals, and nuts.

The second type includes milk, orange juice, and butter, in which flavour reinforcement is not permitted, unless a new identity is given to the food.

Flavour Forms and Dosage in Food Applications

Flavours are supplied in various forms. Flavour strength and potency vary considerably. Some flavours are diluted with solvents and carriers, whereas others are compounds of aromatic chemicals without a solvent. Although the flavour dosage is quite varied, there are some industry acceptable ranges.

Ensuring Flavour Safety in Food Production

Flavours are part of food, so they must be wholesome and safe. The concern of consumers and the responsibility of flavour manufacturers make safety aspects topics of utmost interest and importance.

Any flavouring substance may be placed, by expert judgement, on a spectrum of confidence regarding safety-in-use, ranging from one extreme to the other. At the extreme of greatest confidence may be placed those substances which fulfil the following description:

1. They belong to a group of substances simple in chemical structure and closely related, several of which have been studied toxicologically, and have been found not to possess significant toxicity at levels higher, by a suitable safety factor, than those which could reasonably be encountered in the diet of man.
2. They are known, or can, with confidence, be assumed, to be metabolized to safe products or excreted by known mechanisms. By “metabolized to safe products” is implied absence of appreciable tissue accumulation and biotransformation to products that are not considered to constitute any contradiction to the use of the parent compound as a flavouring.

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