The Status of Flavouring

UNDERSTANDING THESTATUS OF

FLAVOURINGS

Understanding the status of flavourings

For many people not intimately involved with the manufacture of flavours or Food Law, their legislative status for labelling purposes can be confusing, if not at times, positively contradictory. Forexample, how can you possibly have a Nut-Free Natural Nut Flavouring?

INTRODUCTION TO FLAVOURINGS

Another confusing issue is the correct use of Flavour and Flavouring from a legislative point of view. For information, legally, Flavouring is what we add to Food and Drink Products in use, these Flavourings have the effect of adding Flavour to the product/s. The same is true of the use of Colourings to provide the effect of adding Colour to the product/s

Natural 100% FTNF (From The Named Fruit)

NaturalAll components must be found (and proven to be found) in Nature and the source MUST BE NATURAL (i.e. derived from natural origin). Natural is subdivided into the following categories:

All components must come from the fruit as described e.g. in a 100% FTNF Orange Flavouring ALL components must come from an OrangeA grey area of legislation exists with respect to the necessity to declare such a flavouring on the list of ingredients strictly speaking, if a 100% FTNF Flavouring is added at the point of manufacture it should be declared as (Natural) Flavouring; if, however, it is added during some form of pre-processing, e.g. to a fruit compound, there is some discussion as to the necessity of label declaration


Natural, fruit (or picture) depictable

Natural, non-depictable

Legal requirement for Fruit Depictability is that the flavour should come, Wholly or Mostly From The Named FruitNew guidelines agreed by Trading Standards and BEMA state that the flavour must be at least 90% FTNF (rather than the former advice is that 51%+ is fine). The remaining 10% or so will comprise Natural components from other sources

General requirement for Natural listed previously appliesPlease note that a Natural Flavouring may or may not contain anycomponents From The Named FruitThis means that it is possible to have a nut-free Natural Nut Flavouring


Nature IdenticalAll components used must have been identified in nature but may be manufactured synthetically

If a Natural Flavouring contains even a trace of NI it must be declared as a Nature Identical Flavouring. In practice, most NIFlavourings contain natural components in addition to the NI ones

The greater the content of NI components the greater the concentration of the flavouring is likely to be (i.e. lower dose rate) and the greater stability of flavour is found in use (NI components come without the instability precursors that are always present along with the natural versions of these materials)


ArtificialArtificial Flavouring components are synthetic flavour materialsthat are manufactured chemically and are neither occur in naturenor have been identified in nature

If any trace of artificial flavouring components is present in either an otherwise Natural or Nature Identical Flavouring then it is automatically reclassified as Artificial


For Example Vanilla

Vanilla is the most common flavour in the world, familiar to all of us as aflavouring for ice cream, custards and many other sweet products, but is available in a number of forms:


Two species of Orchid, Bourbon (Vanilla Planiflora) and Tahitian (Vanilla Tahitensis) produce vanilla for food use, and are thought to originate from Mexico - the first recorded use was by the Aztecs.

The best quality (Bourbon) is grown in tropical climates, mainly in Madagascar and Indonesia, and requires a hot moist climate with regular rainfall, except for a two month dry period during the flowering season. The vanilla flowers must be pollinated within 24 hours of opening, or the flower wilts and produces no fruit. The flowers are normally pollinated by hand (hummingbirds are not reliable enough!)

After harvest, vanilla pods are cured for 2-3 months to allow the flavour to develop

Natural Vanilla Pods (or Beans)


Natural Vanilla Flavouring (or Extract)Natural Vanilla Flavouring is produced by the maceration of vanilla pods in alcohol for 24-48 hours. The flavour compounds are solubilised in the alcohol, which is then drawn off.


ADVANTAGESIt is a completely natural productIt has the best flavour profile, consisting mainly of the compound Vanillin, with Eugenol, Caproic Acid and more than 200 other flavour compounds

DISADVANTAGESIt is very expensive (typically 60 - 250 per kilo)There are seasonal and annual variations in the qualityThe price is very volatile, due to limited availability, and varies hugely depending on crop yields (poor weather in the last 3 years has caused a doubling of the price)

Nature Identical Vanilla FlavourNature Identical Vanilla Flavourings usually consist largely of Vanillin, the same flavour component found in natural vanilla, but man-made from a different raw material. The largest source of NI vanillin is from lignin (a by-product of the paper industry) .


ADVANTAGESIt is relatively inexpensive in comparison to natural vanilla (10 -30/kilo)The raw materials are cheap and plentiful, giving much more stability to the priceThe term no artificial flavourings can be used on the end product

DISADVANTAGESIt lacks the flavour quality and complexity of natural vanilla (in fact most NI vanilla flavourings include a small proportion of natural vanilla to improve the quality)Cannot be described as natural on the end product ingredient list

Artificial Vanilla FlavouringArtificial Vanilla Flavourings are usually made from Ethyl Vanillin, a compound very similar to Vanillin, but not found in nature. MostEthyl Vanillin is manufactured from lignin or coal-tar .


ADVANTAGESIt is very cheap, typically 3-10 per kiloThe price is very stableIt is 3-4 times stronger in flavour than Vanillin, reducing cost in useIt is very stable, and changes little during storage or processing

DISADVANTAGESIts flavour is similar to, but not the same as Vanillin or natural vanilla, and the publics long term exposure to this flavouring means that many people can notice its artificial characterThe descriptor no artificial or similar cannot be used on the label

BASICS OF FLAVOURMANUFACTURE


ALBEDO (PITH)

JUICE SACS

FLAVEDO (SKIN) CONTAINING OIL SACS

SEED

CORE

SEGMENT MEMBRANE

Citrus Fruit StructureINTRODUCTION TO FLAVOURINGS

Citrus ProcessingWHOLE FRUIT

FRUIT JUICE PEEL OIL PULP PEEL & CORE

EVAPORATION ETHANOLEXTRACTION

EXTRACTIONOF FLAVONOIDS

FLAVOURVOLATILES

WATER SOLUBLEFLAVOURS

FRAGRANCES& FLAVOURS

COMMINUTES & COMPOUNDS

ANIMAL FEED& PECTIN

FCOJ NFC FRUITJUICEWATER SOLUBLE

FLAVOURSFLAVOURS &COMMINUTES

JUICE SACS(FOR ADDITION BACK

TO JUICE)

PULP WASH

INTERMEDIATES PROCESSES END PRODUCTS

CENTRIFUGATION


Flavour ProductionPeel Oil, collected during the juice extraction stage, can be used either in its natural state for:

flavouring oil based products, flavouring baked goodsadding back to the fruit juice in small quantities

or processed into a flavouring for use in water based applications (such as beverages), by using solvent extraction (known as washing).

The oil is mixed with alcohol and water and allowed to stand for up to 24 hours for separation to occur. The water/alcohol phase is collected without the insoluble terpenes. This may then be filtered and/or chilled to remove any waxy deposits found


Flavour Production

Washed Peel Oil Flavouring, in its current state is classified as a

100% FTNF Natural Flavouring

But is also used as a component inFruit Depictable Natural Flavourings (>90%FTNF)Natural WONF FlavouringsNature Identical Flavourings (NI flavourings are

rarely made with 100% NI components)


FLAVOURCHARACTERISTICS


TIME

I

N

T

E

N

S

I

T

Y

INITIAL PHASE MID PHASE TAIL PHASE

Time / Intensity CurvesIdeally, the flavour of a product should be well balanced, with good impact in the initial phase, as little fade as possible in the mid phase, and a long tail phase, i.e. the flavour should develop quickly in the mouth, be well rounded, and last well


Time / Intensity Curves

TIME

I

N

T

E

N

S

I

T

Y

MENTHOL

TIME

I

N

T

E

N

S

I

T

Y

GARDEN MINT

In practice, it is not always possible to achieve this through the use of natural ingredients, or sometimes a single flavour.


For example, the flavour of garden mint has good initial intensity, but fades quickly. By adding a small amount of menthol to the product, the intensity of the flavour is extended

WHY USEFLAVOURINGS?


Why do we use flavourings?

TO REPLACE VOLATILES LOST DURING PROCESSING,the flavour components of many herbs, such as basil and coriander, are very volatile and can be quickly lost in processing. Flavourings can be used to boost these notes to retain the correct character after heating


TO ADD TOPNOTES,e.g. by addition of a fresh strawberry topnote to a product containing processed strawberry fruit (which tend to taste jammy)

TO ADD BASE NOTES,e.g. by addition of a reaction flavouring to a vegetarian product to provide a meaty or roasted character

Flavourings are used for a wide variety of reasons, e.g.

Why do we use flavourings?

TO REDUCE MICROBIAL LOADING,most spices and fruits naturally carry a high microbial load, whereas flavourings (because of the extraction processes) are relatively clean


TO REPLACE SEASONAL, OR SEASONALLY VARIABLE INGREDIENTSflavour profiles of some food ingredients can change dramatically during the growing season, e.g. early season oranges 8% sugar, 0.8% acid, late season oranges 13% sugar, 0.5% acid

TO MASK OTHER FLAVOURS,e.g. flavourings can be used to mask unpleasant tastes from functional ingredients or flavours that develop during processing

Flavourings are used for a wide variety of reasons, e.g.

Why do we use flavourings?Flavourings are used for a wide variety of reasons, e.g.


COST REDUCTION,flavourings are generally cheaper in use, and can be used to replace all or part of the flavour providing material

TO PROVIDE LAYERING,in a complex flavour product, it is often preferable that all the flavours do not express themselves at the same time. Flavouringscan be used to provide a layered effect

TO CHANGE MOUTHFEEL,flavourings can be used to change other properties of the finished product that are not specific flavours, but have a great impact on the perception of the product. E.g. mouthfeel, heat, cooling, tingle

DELIVERY SYSTEMS


Delivery SystemsFlavourings are available in a number of formats, to suit the application. There are 2 basic formats, liquids and powders:Liquids are generally superior, being stronger and less susceptible to spoilage (most liquid carriers will not support microbial growth)


LIQUID, WATER SOLUBLE,best for soft drinks, sauces and other liquid products, but also suitable for goods which have a liquid component in manufacture (such as baked goods)

LIQUID, OIL SOLUBLE,unsuitable for beverages, but ideal for oil phase products and emulsions. The advantage with oil soluble flavourings is that flavouring components that are insoluble in water or alcohol can be incorporated into the product. Tend to be more temperature stable than water soluble

Delivery SystemsPowders are generally used for dry products, such as snacks and coatings, but also in many baked products where it is more convenient to disperse the flavour in a dry mix. All powder flavourings start out as liquids and are dried or put onto a carrier


PLATED POWDERS,are liquid flavourings sprayed onto a carrier, such as salt. They are short shelf-life, and have an equivalent usage rate to the ingredient they replace

SPRAY-DRIED POWDERS,are liquid flavourings spray dried onto a carrier, such as maltodextrin. The disadvantage with spray-dried powders is that volatiles tend to be lost in processing


Delivery Systems

ENCAPSULATED POWDERS,are powder flavourings with an exterior coating that melts on cooking or dissolves on eating. This allows flavourings to retain more freshness in the end product, as they are not subject to oxidation, etc.The melting point of the encapsulating coating can be varied, dependent on the application

Documents

The Status of Flavouring