Single Fragrance and Flavor Materials

Fragrance and flavor materials of commercial interest are arranged according to the Beilstein system of functional groups, not according to their sensory properties, since relationships between odor and structure are difficult to establish. However, the Beilstein system has been abandoned in a few cases for practical reasons. 

When available, trade names are given for individual fragrance and flavor materials. The names of the suppliers are given as follows  

Monographs on fragrance materials and essential oils which have been published by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) in Food and Chemical Toxicology are cited below the individual compounds as FCT with year, volume and page of publication. 

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Since early antiquity, spices and resins from animal and plant sources have been used extensively for perfumery and flavor purposes, and to a lesser extent for their observed or presumed preservative properties. Fragrance and flavor materials vary from highly complex mixtures to single chemicals. Their history began when people discovered that components characteristic of the aroma of natural products could be enriched by simple methods. Recipes for extraction with olive oil and for distillation have survived from pre-Christian times to this day. 

Standardization of specifications for complex fragrance and flavor materials, such as essential oils and absolutes, is far more difficult than for single compounds. 

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