Other Flavour Modifiers

There are several flavour modifiers which are of minor industrial importance at present. These include natural and synthetic substances. A selection is presented in Tab. 3.53. Studies aimed at using miraculin and curculin as low-calorie sweeteners are in progress [23]. 

BMP may become a savoury peptide and a flavour modifier of the future [26]. It occurs naturally in beef. One method of production of BMP already initiated by several concerns is biotechnology [28[. The taste threshold of BMP has been reported to be 1.600 ppm [28[. There are also reports in the literature claiming that BMP cannot be considered as a flavour modifier and that its occurrence in beef is highly unlikely [30, 31 [. 

Gynmemic acid(s) Inhibit(s) sweet taste for several hours (powder sugar tastes like sand and sugar solution tastes like plain tapwa-ter). Salty, bitter, and sour tastes are not affected. Various triterpene glycosides isolated from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre. 

Miraculin (trade name Mirlin ) Modifies sour into sweet taste. After rinsing the mouth with a solution of miraculin, lemon juice tastes like sweetened lemon juice. Salty, bitter, and sweet tastes are not affected. Tasteless glycoprotein (molecular weight 40,000 -48,000 sugar moiety 14%) isolated from the miracle fruit, i.e. the fruits of Rich-adella dulcifica (Synsepalum dulsificum). 

Curculin The sweet taste of curculin disappears in a few minutes after holding it in the mouth. Then, water elicits the sweet taste again and black tea tastes like sweetened tea. In addition, curculin modifies sour into sweet taste (like miraculin). Sweet tasting protein (molecular weight 28,000) isolated from the fruits of Curculigo latefolia. 

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Other flavour modifiers Miraculin Sour tasting substances are perceived as sweet tasting for approx, two hours... 

Lactic acid is one of the most widely distributed acids in nature and it is used to a great extent by the food industry. Its use in beverages, however, is limited. It has a mild taste relative to the other acids and is used in soft drinks as a flavour modifier or enhancer rather than as an acidulant. 

The materials to be spray dried, e.g. flavouring concentrates or fmit, have to be prepared into a solution or an emulsion. Flavour concentrates, e.g. essential oils, extracts and/or mixtures of these with other flavouring substances, are emulsified in water with gum arabic and then homogenised with a solution of the dry carrier. Useful carriers are modified starch products, maltodextrin, sugar, modified whey proteins. 

CIC Vanillin, the main component in vanilla flavour is the basic key ingredient for the creamy, sweet character. All other volatile flavouring compounds have been identified only in small traces. Among them 2-methoxy phenol and 2-methoxy-4-vinyl phenol are responsible for the phenolic, smoky odour. 4-Methoxy benzalde-hyde, 3,4-methylene-dioxy-benzaldehyde, methyl benzoate and methyl ciimamate impart the warm, powdery, aromatic floral character. Vitispirane adds a fruity, floral topnote. Natural vanilla extract blends very well with other flavourings and it has been modified in different directions ethyl vanillin is used to increase the sweet, creamy vanillin aspect. Tonka beans and coumarin add a full, dried hay, slightly caramel-like custard aspect, supported by the butter notes of diacetyl and 4-hydroxy-decanolide. 

EtOH extraction was the most efficient way to improve the flavour of the phloem. A solvent/solid ratio of at least 10 1/kg was needed to achieve a significant change in the taste. The loss of catechins was approximately 27% and that of lignans was 35%. All the catechins and lignans were found from the EtOH extract. Losses of lignans and catechins were smaller with other sovents, but either the taste was not modified or the cost of solvent treatment would be too high. Phenolic compounds like lignans and catechins also have a bitter taste and some improvement in flavour may have occurred because of the lower concentration of these. The disappearance of the characteristic... 

Although sulfite occupies most of the stage in terms of modifying the Maillard reaction, other sulfur compounds have an effect too for example, the use of N-acetylcysteine to reduce burnt off-flavours in canned liver sausage272 (see Chapter 5). 

As well as fruity and buttery aromas, MLF has also been associated with other characteristic aromas such as floral, roasted, vanilla, sweet, woody, smoked, bitter, honey, etc. (Flenick-Kling 1993 Sauvageot and Vivier 1997). However, further studies are required to be able to relate the wine characteristics that are modified during malolactic fermentation with the production and/or degradation of a specific chemical compound by wine lactic acid bacteria. With this information, the winemaker can choose the best strain of lactic acid bacteria to obtain wine with a specific aroma or flavour. 

Over recent decades, research into the role of yeast in the development of wine flavour has revealed complex interactions between this microbe and grape compounds many of these interactions contribute to the appearance, aroma, flavour and texture of wine. When wood is used in fermentation, some wood-derived flavour compounds can also be modified by yeasts. Together, all these compounds that are present in must, and produced and modified during fermentation, and by other processes, contribute to the distinctive varietal character of wine. 

Grapefruit oils are mainly used in flavourings. In perfumery, they are only employed as modifiers for other citrus types (bergamot, bitter orange, lemon etc.). 

Main components During fermentation, vanillin (up to app. 2.5%) is formed from the odourless glucovanillin by enzymatic hydrolysis. Its aroma is rounded-off and modified by p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzyl methyl ether, vanillyl alcohol, vanillic acid, cinnamic acid ester and various other trace constituents [291, 292], Also the resins, gums, amino acids and other organic acids contribute to the typical flavour of the cured beans [293[. For further constituents and characterisations of fruits from different growing areas see [294[. 

Apart from these typical herbs and spices and the oils and extracts based on them, the flavour industry employs a number of other natural products for rounding-off, modifying and boosting flavour preparations, especially fruit flavours. These often constitute extracts (absolutes, absolues), which usually find application in perfumery. A few examples are the following ... 

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