Flavourings artificial

CE. 1970. Natural Flavouring Substances, their Sources, and Added Artificial Flavouring Substances. First edition. Council of Europe, Maisonneuve, France. 

Esters often have pleasant odours and tastes, so they are used to produce perfumes and artificial flavours. In fact, the characteristic tastes and smells of many fruits come from esters. (See Figure 1.28.)... 

Concern about food additives became so significant that food producers managed to seduce consumers with the prominent labels proclaiming free from artificial flavours or no artificial colouring . Such additives were blamed by some as being responsible for criminal, disruptive or violent behaviour of children. Food labelling, either under voluntary codes or by law, was introduced in response to such concerns. In Europe, the adoption of E numbers to identify commonly used food additives supposedly helped consumers make informed choices (or possibly helped alleviate some public fears). 

Regarding artificial flavouring substances, four EU member states (Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands) have specific positive lists with use levels, whereas all other EU member states permit all artificial flavouring substances suitable for human consumption. 

The US Regulations only distinguish between natural and artificial flavourings. The European category nature-identical is unknown in the legal definitions. If such substances are synthetically produced, they are classified as artificial flavouring substances in the USA. 

Artificial flavouring substances. For the purpose of the Codex Alimentarius, these are the substances which have not yet been identified in natural products intended for human consumption, whether processed or not. They are hence made available only through synthesis. 

Elavouring substances may be classified into natural, nature-identical, and artificial flavouring substances (Tab. 3.3). These will be discussed below in detail. 

The legislation of some European countries comprises positive lists for artificial flavouring substances, such as ethyl vanillin. 

Nature-identical and artificial flavouring substances are produced in order to evoke specific sensorial effects. The potency of the individual compounds is usually described by a set of parameters comprising the odour or taste threshold in the corresponding matrix, i.e. water or oil phase, as well as the dynamics of perception as determined by Steven s law [7]. For many compounds a shift of the specific sensorial properties is observed in different concentrations. 

Industrial applications of nature-identical and artificial flavourings have to be based on two pillars a clear understanding of flavour-relevant molecules and at the same time the use of technically feasible, high-purity, high-yield syntheses. In addition, performance criteria like pH, oxidation and chemical stability as well as toxicological safety have to be considered. 

The future use of nature-identical and artificial flavour compounds will be based on a broad set of criteria sensory properties, safety and use levels and finally performance parameters like stability in application and flavour release. 

Emit-flavoured liqueurs are spirits which are produced using natural and/or nature-identical or maybe even artificial flavour components, distillates and extracts. Liqueurs of that kind are made from apricots, peaches, citms fruits etc. Denominations such as "Triple" or "Triple Sec" are quite common for citms liqueurs. 

Locally there are certain legal restrictions in the use of nature-identical and artificial flavourings (e.g. the German Speiseeis-VO 1933 with amendments and German Leitsatze fiir Speiseeis und Speiseeiserzeugnisse vom 27. April 1995)... 

A wide range of flavouring substances is used in powdery or pasty convenience foods. Reaction flavours based on hydrolysed plant proteins, natural flavours, artificial flavours and meat, vegetable, yeast and spice extracts are added to the products to generate the desired flavour profile. The most common savoury flavour types used for dehydrated convenience foods are chicken, beef and vegetable flavours. However various other flavour types are used while formulating dehydrated convenience foods. Amongst them are mutton, crawfish, fish, wine and various spice and herb flavours. 

From a legal point of view it is interesting to note that up to now (IR)-configured stereoisomers of 3-oxo-p-methane-8-thiol have not been detected in nature. Therefore, those stereoisomers have to be classified as artificial flavourings in the sense of order regulations by the European Union. 

For completeness here are the definitions for natural and artificial flavourings ... 

Artificial flavourings Aromatic substances, chemically defined which are not found in natural products, and which are obtained by organic synthesis, and compounded or not with natural flavourings or nature-identical flavourings. 

Flavourings are not mentioned, but there does exist a Saudi Standard 951/1995 Flavours permitted for use in foodstuffs . The Standard gives definitions for natural flavourings (obtained from vegetable or animal raw materials), nature-identical and artificial flavouring substances and flavour enhancers. 

Useful chemicals In our daily life we are surrounded by objects which are obtained through synthesis, e.g. polymers, dyes, textile fabrics, artificial flavour, and insecticides. 

We worry with some justification about chemical carcinogens in the workplace - blue asbestos and chromium salts being prime examples - but there is a high degree of over-reaction to things like pesticide residues and artificial flavours and colours in our diet. As the American biochemist Bruce Ames (inventor of the so-called Ames test for mutagenicity) has pointed out ... 

Animal fat and oil processors Animal manure removers Artificial-flavour makers Asphalt storage workers Barium carbonate makers Blast furnace workers Brewery workers Bromide-brine workers Cable splicers Caisson workers Carbon disulphide workers Cellophane producers Chemical laboratory workers (lecturers, students, technicians) Cistern cleaners Citrus root fumigators Coal gasification workers Coke oven workers Copper-ore sulphidisers Depilatory makers Dye-makers Excavators Felt makers... 

Monoterpenes are widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry as active components of drugs and ingredients of artificial flavours and fragrances [1]. Camphene is converted to isobomeol and bomeol that are used in formulation of soaps, cosmetic perfumes and medicines, as well as in the industrial production of camphor [2], which is used as an odorant/flavorant in pharmaceutical, household and industrial products [7]. Traditionally, homogeneous catalysts, e.g sulphuric acid, are used, but the effluent disposal leads to environmental problems and economical inconveniences. These problems can be overcome by the use of solid acid catalysts. USY zeolite [3], heteropolyacids [4,5] and sulfonic acid surface-functionalised silica [6] have also been used for the camphene hydration. 

Many of the compounds used to produce artificial flavour belong to the chemical category of esters. The list of known flavouring agents includes hundreds of molecular compounds, and they are often mixed together to produce many of the common flavours. 

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