Water-dispersible flavourings

We have already referred to the use of stabilisers in the production of water-dispersible flavourings and/or emulsion based cloudifying systems. Such additives, as well as contributing to stability, are also used, where appropriate, in soft drink formulations to impart stability to natural clouds, for example, dispersions of fruit solids, and to improve mouthfeel characteristics by increasing the viscosity of the dr ink. 

Oil-based, water-dispersible flavours (emulsions) are protected by the addition of oil-soluble antioxidants such as butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) to the oil phase before the emulsification process 1,000 mg/1 is the typical usage level in essential oils. Since the flavour emulsion will be used at the rate of about 0.1%, the level of antioxidant in the finished beverage will be of the order of 1 mg/1, which will safely comply with an ADI of 5 mg/kg body weight for either additive. 

Spray drying is the most commonly used method in the food industry. Bioactive ingredients microencapsulated by this method include fats and oils, flavours, essential oils and other oil-soluble bioactives. Water-soluble bioactives can also be encapsulated by spray drying, where the encapsulant forms a matrix structure rather than a film surrounding the core. This process typically involves the dispersion of the core material into a solution of the encapsulant (e.g., protein, carbohydrate) and atomization of the mixture into the drying chamber. This leads to evaporation of the solvent... 

Coloured malt is produced by roasting of kiln-dried malt without prior saccharification at a temperature of 190-220°C. It is used to increase the colour of dark beers. The ground malt is dispersed in water, a process which also causes a hydrolysis of starch and other malt components through the malt enzymes. By means of filtration, these flavours are gained in a fermentable, clear solution which is then cooked for the flavourisation with hop. 

The pure colom is produced by further crystallisation of the oleoresin resulting in a product with minimum 90% curcumin and very little of the flavour compounds. It is insoluble in water and poorly soluble in other solvents. Typical products for use in the food industry have a curcumin content of 4 to 10% and are achieved by dispersing pure curcumin in a mixture of food-grade solvent and emulsifier, by dissolving in vegetable oil or by spraying onto starch. 

Taste compounds, which may elicit acid, sweet, salty or bitter tastes, must pass into the aqueous phase before they are sensed by the taste receptors in the mouth. The aqueous phase is composed of the water from the food mixed with saliva in the mouth. Thus, factors such as water solubility, pH and salt formation, which influence the partitioning of taste compounds between aqueous and fat phases, influence flavour perception. For example, the presence of fat may retard their passage into saliva and thus limit the perception of taste. The way in which fat and water are distributed in a food, and the proportions of each, influence flavour perception. Many foods have a poor flavour if they contain too little fat (cheese is a good example). The effect, while very obvious to the consumer, is not fully understood scientifically but may be related to the state of dispersion of the fat. 

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