Flavor Applications

Cystine and other sulfur-containing amino acids are recognized as important precursors of food flavors, especially meat flavors (3, 11-12). DMHF, a cyclic-a-dicarbonyl, possesses a sweet, caramel and fruity aroma (13). It is found in many food sources (14-17) and is used extensively in many flavor applications (18-19). DMHF can be formed from sugar via either sugar enolization (caramelization) by a Maillard reaction then cyclization (20). 

Historically, most extrusion processors have relied on postextrusion flavor application as a means of characteristically... 

By now, nearly every chemist has had some introduction to the subject of supercritical extraction in one form or another, and it would seem that after scores of papers, newsreleases, and trade journal articles, only so much can be said about the background and early findings, the thermodynamic interactions between dissolved solutes and high pressure gases, the equations of state that can correlate and predict solubility behavior, the many applications of the technology (some of which are in flavors), the full scale coffee and hops extraction plants now in operation, etc. What, then, can a paper entitled "Supercritical Fluids - Overview and Specific Examples in Flavors Applications" give that s new -hopefully, a different development of the historical perspective... 

Plant materials, such as spices and herbs, can be superoritically extracted for flavor, fragrance, and pharmaceutical applications. Using nontoxic carbon dioxide as a solvent, supercritical extraction (SCE) leaves no harmful residues. Food materieds produced with SCE are viewed as natural and have been shewn to be of hi quality, often with siperior properties not obtainable with other separation techniques. Hie purpose of this paper is to discuss the advantac of SCE for flavor applications, to describe a preliminary design for a coimnercial plant, and to present economics for this pplication. 

Low Temperature Process - SCE temperatures are lew enou to prevent degradation of sensitive materials, often important in flavor applications. 

Solms, J. and Guggenbuehl, B. Physical Aspects of Flavor Application in Food Systems. In Flavor Science and Technology (Bessiere, Y. and Thomas, A.F., eds.), New York, John Wiley, pp. 319-335 (1990)... 

The main activities of flavor industries are collection or production of flavoring materials, manufacturing flavor, studies on flavor application, and technical services. 

Methanethiol is a very volatile (b.p. 6.2°C) compound possessing a intensely putrid, fecal-like aroma even at low concentrations. The detection threshold value for methanethiol has been reported as 0.02 ppb in air (49, 50), and it readily undergoes oxidative condensation with itself in the presence of oxygen to yield dimethyl disulfide (51) which also exhibits pronounced aroma properties (12 ppb detection threshold in air 49, 50). Besides the difficulties in handling and encapsulating methanethiol for flavor applications, its propensity to adsorb to surfaces and react with other organics makes the use of this compound in flavor concentrates very troublesome indeed. 

Certain citrus oils do contain a high degree of intrinsic ethyl alcohol, and must be monitored very carefully, though will not always be forbidden in a flavor application. 

Rice bran protein concentrate can be effectively acid hydrolyzed to produce RB-HVP having a unique free amino acid profile, with a slightly reduced monosodium glutamate balance conqiared to soy and wheat HVPs. The majority of the character-inq)act conqjonents of RB-HVP were derived via Strecker degradation of the available free amino acids, with some potential off-notes being caused by presence of 2-methoxyphenol and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol. In order to fully imderstand the potential of RB-HVP, it is recommended that the product be further characterized by sensory analysis and evaluated in an actual process flavor application. 

It is used also as a secondary decolorizing agent for crude wood rosin and a selective solvent for extraction and crystallization of anthracene from crude anthracene oils. Furfural is used as an intermediate in pharmaceutical, herbicide, fragrance and flavoring applications. 

Duffy, V. B., Cain, W. S. and Ferris, A. M. (1999). Measurement of sensitivity to olfactory flavor application in a study of aging and dentures. Chemical Senses, 24, 671-677. 

In any flavor development project it is necessary to carry ont a continnons sensory assessment of trial samples in order to establish the nature and extent of differences between the trial and the target flavor profile. While the final evalnation of a flavoring is done in the Flavor Applications laboratory, there is a need to have a simpler, faster... 

FIGURE 14.1 Basic flavor applications laboratory facility. (Courtesy of Robertet Flavors, Inc., Piscataway, NJ. With permission.)... 

The sections that follow consider the flavoring of some of the major food flavor applications areas. Much of this information still comes from Henry Heath s writing in this subject area [1]. Additional information comes from Leora Hatchwell (Chicago, IL), essentially her teaching at short courses once given at the University of Minnesota. Snbstantial credit must be given to these individuals. 

---