Flavoring oils

Gin is usuaky distiked at 180—190° proof. In the second distikation, cmshed juniper berries are placed on mesh trays or perforated racks caked gin heads in the distikation column. The vapors then extract the aromatic flavoring oils and carry them over with the distikate. 

Microemulsions or solubilized or transparent systems are very important ia the marketing of cosmetic products to enhance consumer appeal (32,41). As a rule, large quantities of hydrophilic surfactants are required to effect solubilization. Alternatively, a combination of a solvent and a surfactant can provide a practical solution. In modem clear mouthwash preparations, for example, the flavoring oils are solubilized in part by the solvent (alcohol) and in part by the surfactants. The nature of solubilized systems is not clear. Under normal circumstances, microemulsions are stable and form spontaneously. Formation of a microemulsion requires Httle or no agitation. Microemulsions may become cloudy on beating or cooling, but clarity at intermediate temperatures is restored automatically. 

Flavor. Dentifrices are used to refresh the oral cavity. Flavor oils and other flavoring materials are key to that function (see Flavors and spices). Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) flavors or flavors from approved lists are used. The most popular flavors are peppermint [8006-90-4], spearmint [8008-79-5], cinnamon [8006-79-9], and mixtures of these. Menthol is a principal constituent of the mint flavors and a source of refreshment and coolness. 

If a change occurs in the food product after storage in a plastic container, some part of the change could be caused by absorption in the container wall. The important components such as flavor oils or emulsifiers exist in relatively small quantities. The type and thickness of the polyethylene container can influence this variable. If the before and after taste test shows no difference between storage in the plastic container and storage in glass, absorption in the wall is considered insignificant. 

Caramel color is an emulsifying agent as well as a colorant. In soft drinks, it helps keep the flavor oils suspended in the solution. 

One ingredient in pharmaceutical cough medicine preparations is a flavor oil. Pharmaceutical companies that produce such preparations purchase the flavor oil in bulk quantities and then perform a laboratory analysis on a sample of it to determine its quality. The method of choice for this is refractive index. The flavor oil raw material must be within the refractive index specification limits established for it before it can be used in the cough medicine production process. 

John Hannon, an analyst for a pharmaceutical company, uses a refractometer for the determination of the quality of flavor oil used in cough medicine preparations. 

Natural products such as wine, fruit juices, flavors, oils, and honey are prime targets for fraudulent adulteration because of their high prices. Sophisticated analytical methods (perhaps including isotope abundance measurements) are required to detect whether natural ingredients have been mixed with ones from cheaper synthetic sources. Isotope abundance is markedly different for natural vs. synthetic molecules and these differences can be exploited to detect adulteration. Several examples follow. 

The wall is dissolved away from around the core such as when a liquid flavoring oil is used in a dry powdered beverage mix ... 

Two hundred grams of carrier was dispersed in distilled water at the desired levels (solution viscosities similar to gum arabic) and flavor oil emulsions were made using a Waring blender at high speed for two minutes. The emulsion was spray-dried using an inlet temperature of 200 C and an outlet temperature of 90 C. Atomization was achieved using centrifugal wheel atomization. 

The data show that when spray-drying a 30% lemon oil level on the weight of the carrier, the starch octenylsuccinate only loses O.37o of the oil during the spray-drying process. Surface flavor oil was also lower for the starch octenylsuccinates which indicates excellent encapsulation efficiencies. 

At lower oil usage levels (20% - 307o) gum arabic and starch octenylsuccinates performed equally. High oil levels (greater than 407o) showed marked differences in surface oil content of the powders, with the starch octenylsuccinates out performing gum arabic. Less flavor oil on the surface of the powder will help improve overall shelf-life stability. 

Another important aspect of encapsulation efficiency is the resistance to oxidation that the carrier imparts to the flavor oils. The oxidation resistance properties are critical to shelf-life stability of the encapsulated product. Oxidation properties can be measured organoleptically by a taste panel or by gas chromatograph of the recovered oil. Peaks related to oxidation products of orange terpenes obtained from GC analysis can be monitored as the powders are aged for three days at 80 C. The GC was used to measure beta-pinene, an oxidation product of orange terpenes. The results are reported in square inches. The greater the area for the beta-pinene peak, the poorer the oxidation resistance of carrier towards the orange terpenes. The data is presented in TABLE 5 ... 

Starch octenylsuccinates offer excellent emulsifying properties, flavor oil retention and good oxidation resistance versus gum arabic. They can be made on a variety of starch bases, dextrins or fluidities which provide versatility and improved spray-drying costs. Starch octenylsuccinate are low in cost, domestically produced and are not subject to the market fluctuations that gum arabic encounters. 

Alginates, unique hydrocolloids extracted from selected species of brown seaweed (kelp), interact with calcium ions to produce thermally stable gels. Using this interaction, flavor oils may be encapsulated or entrapped in the algin gel matrix. Encapsulation is accomplished at ambient temperatures. Products may be used "as is" (wet) or subsequently dried. This technique offers the potential for novel flavor effects, flavor protection, and new food products. 

A logarithmic time interval may be chosen if the emulsion consists of an oil that has a substantial solubility in the aqueous phase (e.g., aromatic or flavor oils see Background Information, discussion of Ostwald ripening). 

The contribution of lipid oxidative products to off-flavor development has been studied by many workers, and a review of these studies has been presented by Nagy (38). It is generally agreed that the contribution of the lipid oxidative products to the flavor deterioration of processed citrus products is relatively minor when compared to the contributions by the products formed by the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of flavoring oils and the products of Maillard browning (39,40). 

Oils may contain toxic compounds. For example, Myristicin is the compound that flavors nutmeg and mace it is also found in black pepper and carrot, parsley, and celery seeds. Used in culinary quantities, myristicin is only a flavoring. In massive doses, it causes hallucination. Thujone, the anise-flavored oil in wormwood, caused an epidemic of brain disease in drinkers addicted to the now-banned liquor absinthe. Sassafras contains a toxic oil similar to thujone, which is why it is no longer used to make root beer. Very high doses of menthol, from peppermint, may cause dangerous irregularities in the heart s rhythm (Weiss, 1997)... 

Improved stability towards oxidation of spray dried flavor oils was achieved by using a combination of a high-maltose syrup, maltodextrin and a high molecular weight, film-forming polysaccharide, such as starch octenylsuccinate or gum ara-bic.200 201 Emulsification performance of maltodextrins is improved by treatment with octenylsuccinic anhydride and aluminum sulfate. 

Seasoning salts have been made by adding complexes of onion, tarragon, laurel, caraway, smoke, dill and garlic oils to the salt.99 The flavor oil is prevented from evaporating because it is complexed with the cyclodextrin, but is readily released when the complex is moistened in the mouth. Complexation of the oils with cyclodextrin also converts them to a solid powder which can be easily mixed with the salt without caking. 

A variety of specialty oils exists. Pumpkin seed oil is popular in Central Europe. Sesame oil is used throughout the Middle East and the Orient and roasted sesame oil is used in very small amounts to flavor Asiatic foods. Nut oils, grape seed oil, tomato seed oil, and herb-flavored oils are available. 

Preparing an oil-soluble additives mixture containing mono- or diglycerides and other emulsifiers, flavorings, oil-soluble vitamins, and yellow color at the margarine/spread plant. 

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