Raw Materials for Flavourings

The first raw materials for the flavour industry included extracts, tinctures, oleoresins, juice concentrates, essential oils, and a few synthetic chemicals (Tab. 3.1). Up to the 1950s, flavour research was concentrated on the isolation, stmcmral analysis, and synthesis of just a few quantitatively outstanding natural materials (Tab. 3.1). The situation changed dramatically with the advent of gas chromatography as a means of analysis, especially in conjunction with mass spectrometry. 

At the start of modem flavour research, the prime object of investigation was to find out how many individual components made up a flavour and which they were. That phase has today passed its peak. More than 4,000 chemicals have been identified as flavouring substances. There may well be more awaiting discovery. 

Before 1900 Import of tropical fruits and spices Identification of some flavouring substances Synthesis of some flavouring substances 

1900-1950 Start of structural analysis of flavouring substances Improvement of extraction and distillation processes Improvement of synthesizing techniques 

1950-1970 Introduction of chromtography and spectral photometry for analytical characterization of flavouring substances Evidence of hundreds of individual components in a single flavour Development of flavourings with up to 30 individual components (predominantly nature-identical flavouring substances) 

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