Flavor

The aroma ( gr ἄρωμα flavor, spice ',' smell ',' Perfume ' ) refers to the specific smell and / or taste, which is caused by individual chemical compounds or mixtures of substances in articles such as food and pharmaceuticals. Many flavors are due to chemical compounds ( called flavors), which belong to the class of aromatics, esters, terpenes, alkylpyrazines, aldehydes or ketones (see aroma activity concept ).

The production of flavorings wins economically increasingly important. In 2011, about 10.6 billion U.S. $ were converted flavored world, due especially to the use in industrially processed and packaged foods.

Often industrial products are concentrated solutions of odorants added to bypass cost reasons, the use of natural products and avoid fluctuations in quality during production. If the inherent aroma is not sufficient, therefore, natural or nature- identical flavoring substances are used as food additive. The prices of flavors vary greatly between the respective subgroups.

Due to meteorological and political influences may in natural flavors come to wide fluctuations in the quality and quantity available (see vanilla).

Chemical reasons, some flavors can not reproduce. Other flavors can be very well modeled with flavors again.

• 4.1 Natural flavors

Sensory and cognitive foundations

Aromas are perceived mainly through the sense of smell, by reach of food intake volatile flavoring substances on the throat, nose and connection to the olfactory receptors of the olfactory mucosa in the nasal cavity. The olfactory mucosa in humans contains about 350 different receptor cells, each of which is excited by a certain group of fragrances. By simultaneous excitation of different receptor cells have a much higher number of different olfactory sensations is possible, and which man can learn to distinguish several thousand.

The localized on the tongue taste buds, however, can only detect five tastes ( sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami ). Add to that the taste sharpness that is perceived through heat and pain sensors and is therefore not counted among the flavors in the strict sense.

Legal definitions

The flavors Regulation ( EC) No 1334/2008 divided flavors in six different categories: aroma substances, flavoring preparations, thermal process flavorings, smoke flavorings, flavor precursors and other flavorings.

Flavourings

Flavouring substances are chemically defined substances with flavoring properties. In nature so far about 10,000 flavoring substances have been identified. The flavor industry uses about 2,500 flavorings. In general, let flavorings divided into two subcategories:

• Synthetic flavoring substances are formed using synthetic methods. With them it is either nature-identical flavoring substances or artificial flavorings. The nature-identical flavoring substances follow a model in nature and correspond in their molecular structure just this model, for example, synthetically produced vanillin. Artificial flavoring agents, however, have no precedent in nature. In contrast to the previous flavor - Directive 88/ 388 new flavor regulation does not distinguish between natural identical and artificial flavoring substances. Until the validity of the European positive list Germany only allowed 15 artificial flavorings for use in foodstuffs, eg, ethyl vanillin.
• Natural flavoring substances are flavoring substances obtained by mandatory physical ( eg distillation and extraction ), enzymatic or microbiological processes. Starting materials for the preparation can be of plant, animal or microbiological (e.g., yeast ) origin; both the raw materials and the manufacturing processes are natural. Natural flavoring substances must have been identified in nature. The natural flavorings as part of natural vanillin.

Currently, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA ) reviewed all natural and synthetic flavorings for their safety. For this, the European Commission is in the near future out of a positive list ( Union List ).

Flavor extracts

Aroma extracts are complex mixtures of natural flavorings. For example, there are extracts from fruits, spices, herbs, meat, fish and vegetables. They are obtained as well as natural flavoring substances and subject to the same legal requirements.

Thermal process flavorings

Thermal process flavorings produced by controlled heating of sugar and nitrogen-containing ingredients ( such as glucose with beef extract). The aroma of forms, such as when baking bread or roasting meat, only by heating.

Smoke flavorings

Smoke flavorings arise when smoke condenses in water, that is, is collected. In order to produce smoke flavorings, manufacturers must comply with certain statutory conditions of temperature, water content of the wood and air and strictly controlled.

Flavor precursors

Aroma precursors ( for example carbohydrates or amino acids) have no or only limited own odor or taste -imparting properties. But you develop this by reacting with other components during food production.

Other flavorings

Other flavors are those flavorings which do not fall under the above categories, such as grill -like flavors that are prepared by heating of vegetable oils.

Handling of flavors

To be able to apply and dispense flavors in foods better, they are usually mixed with carriers or solvents, such as starch, lactose or alcohol. Some flavors contain technological reasons and food additives, such as emulsifiers or anti-oxidants. These additives may be used only if they have been tested for their safety and the legislature has approved them.

Characteristics of flavors

The European flavors Regulation regulates the labeling of flavorings. This applies to the sale of flavors to the food industry or to consumers ( eg vanilla or baking flavors ) and for the designation of flavors in the ingredients list on food packaging.

The term " aromatherapy " can always be used if the food contains one or more of the six legally defined categories of flavorings. It is also possible to more accurately describe the flavor ( orange oil ) or describe (strawberry flavor). The addition of caffeine and quinine must always be marked separately. This also applies to smoke flavorings, unless they are giving the food a smoky flavor.

Natural flavors

The European flavor regulation imposes special requirements on the use of the term "natural." These apply equally to the marking by the flavors manufacturers as well as for the description of flavorings in the list of ingredients of food. Basically, the term 'natural' only be used if the flavoring contains exclusively flavoring substances or natural flavoring substances. Synthetic flavoring substances, thermal process flavorings, smoke flavorings, flavor precursors or other flavorings may therefore not be accompanied by the words "natural". Also, vegetable protein hydrolyzate is declared as " spice " or " broth ", within the meaning of Regulation No flavors natural ingredient.

The purposes intended by the legislature of improved consumer protection, with the use of the term "natural", the starting materials of the flavor will be called (for example, strawberry or vanilla), unless these are not recognized in the flavor or taste of the food. The example of "Strawberry" can be distinguished the following identification options:

• "Natural strawberry flavor ": Such flavor comes either exclusively of strawberries (eg strawberry extract ) or at least 95% of strawberries. The remaining 5% are natural flavoring substances and extracts that do not come from strawberries. These additional flavors may even act rounding off and do not significantly change the actual flavor.
• "Natural strawberry flavor with other natural flavors ": In such a flavor of the content of strawberries is below 95%. The aroma, natural flavoring substances and extracts that do not originate from the strawberry, are attached. However, the taste of the coming of strawberry aroma constituents must be easily recognizable.
• "Natural flavors ": In such a flavor not extracted components of strawberry and no other flavor extracts are included. The flavor was made ​​exclusively from natural flavorings. A reference to the taste of strawberry is not allowed.
• " Natural flavor ": Such a flavor contains natural flavoring substances and extracts derived from different source materials. It tastes like strawberry, but was not recovered or only a small portion of strawberries. Again, a reference to the taste of strawberry is not allowed.

Even if a flavor "naturally " meets the conditions for the use of the term, the flavor manufacturer or food producer must identify the flavor in question merely as a " flavor " or use the proper accurate name / description. A "natural strawberry flavor " or " natural strawberry flavoring with other natural flavorings" may therefore also be referred to as " flavor " or " strawberry flavor ". The use of the term " flavor " in the ingredients list is not automatically be equated with the use of synthetic flavorings.

The addition of artificial flavors instead of natural flavors (or in addition ) can be detected qualitatively and quantitatively by an Enantioselective analysis. Here, the enantiomeric ratio is used, the property of many natural substances that individual flavors in a characteristic distribution of the enantiomers ( stereoisomers that are chemical compounds, see also Chirality ) occur. This analysis is used primarily for testing of natural fruit flavors and natural fruit flavors flavored foods. In order to establish whether the products are labeled in accordance with the regulations and whether only natural flavoring substances are present.

Flavoring directories

One of the most comprehensive directories of organic flavors was presented in 1914 by Georg Cohn.

The European Commission has created a directory that grouped all flavoring substances used in the EU.

On 1 October 2012, the European Commission has now published a list of EU-approved flavorings ( Union List ). This will be valid from 22 April 2013, and be binding after the date specified in the flavor Regulation 1334/2008 transition period of 18 months for all flavors produced in the EU. After this transitional period on October 22, 2014 flavorings may be placed on the market only, which are manufactured from the substances listed in this Union list. Components of flavors from the categories " flavor extracts " (if made ​​of food ) and " thermal process flavorings " ( so far as those manufacturing condition have been complied with ) need not be registered in the Union list. Flavors and foods that do not comply with this Regulation, but may still be used before the expiry of any minimum expiration date.

Stereochemistry

Since the taste sensors ( receptors) are chiral, the enantiomers possess is usually a different flavor. So most of D-amino acids taste sweet, while the L -amino acids are bitter or almost tasteless. The dipeptide Aspartame tastes sweet only when both amino acids involved in the molecular structure have the L configuration. The terpene ( S)- carvone smells like caraway, while ( R) -carvone smells minty. The links form the terpene limonene smells of lemon, the legal form to Orange.

Toxins in flavors

For the following by the flavorings to the food supplied compounds statutory quantity restrictions were introduced because they can be toxic:

• Agaric (until 19 December 2011, then removed )
• Aloin (until 19 December 2011, then removed )
• β -asarone
• Berberine (until 19 December 2011, then removed )
• Quinine
• Caffeine
• Coumarin
• Cyanide
• Estragole (from January 20, 2011 added)
• Hypericin (until 19 December 2011, then removed )
• Menthofuran (from January 20, 2011 added)
• Methyl eugenol (from January 20, 2011 added)
• Pulegone
• Quassin
• Safrole
• Santonin (until 19 December 2011, then removed )
• Teucrin A ( from January 20, 2011 added)
• Thujone

It is only to substances that could not be removed by appropriate methods from the aroma. Most of these toxins are even made ​​from plants, the starting material of most flavors, to protect themselves from predators. This is therefore not controlled by conflicts of interest, but a real existing problem such as in acrylamide.

With application of the new EU Regulation flavors on January 20, 2011, the substances agaric, aloin, berberine, hypericin and Santonin be subject to a maximum quantity restriction more substances estragole, methyl eugenol, Teucrin A and menthofuran are instead re-recorded.

The new EU Flavouring Regulation 1334/2008 regulates in its Annex III, Part B, the maximum quantity may be contained by these toxins naturally present, but unwanted in which foods. For all other foods, there are no general limits more. Here are the responsibility of the manufacturer of the food is transferred, which must comply with under Article 14 of the EC Basic Regulation 178/2002, according to which food must be "safe".

A special feature of the toxins represents the capsaicin (focus fabric chilli peppers ), which may be added to foods as a pure substance in a form that is the source of the chilli extract but allowed unlimited.

Key odorants

In food chemistry, identifies key flavorings that characterize the characteristic aroma of individual foods, with the English term character impact compounds, such as vanillin as a carrier of the flavor of the spice vanilla or raspberry ketone.