Liquid smoke

As a smoke flavor is known preparations of condensed and purified fumes, as it is also used in the conventional methods for smoking foodstuffs. The smoke freshly produced, which is used for the fumigation of food, appears in the list of ingredients as smoke. Smoke flavorings are available in solid and liquid form, where they are referred to in the latter case often referred to as Liquid Smoke, liquid smoke or liquid smoke.

Tradition of smoking

Smoking in combination with drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Archaeological finds suggest that people knew the smoking as a means of preservation is already about 9,000 years ago. Climatic differences in the different regions were a significant factor in the development of various methods of preservation. In the traditional smoking process, a distinction is in cold smoking at a temperature of 15-25 ° C, warm smoke at 25-50 ° C and hot smoking at 50-85 ° C. The higher the temperature, the shorter the dwell time of the food in the smoke.

Today the smoking is almost exclusively used for color - Aromagebung. Incense usually with sawdust and Hack - or sawdust of different hardwoods. In addition, for example, Juniper berries, herbs, fir or pine cones and needles added for additional flavor formation. Technologically there is no difference between the smoking process as Glimmrauchverfahren, Friktionsrauchverfahren ( Friction ), steam smoke method and smoking with wiedererzeugtem from smoke condensates smoke.

Definition

The European 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. Smoke flavorings according to the definitions in Article 3 ( Nos. 1, 2 and 4) of Regulation ( EC) No 2065 /2003 shall be generated by fractionation and purification of condensed water in smoke. They are used with food, such as To impart a smoky flavor to meat, fish or snacks. In order to produce smoke flavorings, manufacturers must comply with certain statutory conditions of temperature, water content of the wood as well as air and strictly controlled.

Identification

The addition of smoke flavorings must be identified separately if they give the food a smoky flavors always according to the European Regulation. The flavors Regulation regulates the labeling of flavorings with respect to sales to the food industry and consumers as well as for the identification of flavors in the ingredients list on the packaging of food. Will smoke flavorings added in the production of food and give it a smoky flavor to the food product, it must be labeled as "smoke flavoring " in the ingredients list.

Commission Regulation ( EC) No 2065/ 2003 on smoke flavorings used or intended for use in or on foods, which entered into force on 16 December 2003, the legal systems of the Member States were unified in the production, approval and use of smoke flavorings.

The Regulation provides for a procedure in which the Commission called primary products - allows for the production of smoke flavorings - primary smoke condensate and Primärteerphase. The substances are recorded in a positive list in the Annex to Regulation. So fixed will not access individual smoke flavorings to the internal market, but it is limited to the inspection and approval of raw materials, primary products. In the approval process, the manufacturer of primary products it must provide detailed information to source materials and production methods. The applications for authorization shall be submitted to the competent authority of the Member State. This forwards it to the European Food Safety Authority.

According to the EU Regulation, the following information must be included in smoke condensates:

• Type of wood used
• Detailed information on the method of production of primary products and the further processing to liquid smoke derivative
• The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the primary products and the characterization of that portion which is not identifiable. This should be as small as possible.
• Use of a validated method for sampling, identification and characterization of the primary products
• Information about the intended use amount
• Toxicological data

Production

The smoking with wiedererzeugtem from smoke condensates smoke or liquid smoke offers itself as a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional smoking with glowing smoke. In this process the food is not directly attributable to the toxic substances ( ash, tar, PAHs, etc.) provided smoke stream is exposed, but is by spraying or nebulizing, diving, sprinkle or filling covered in intestines with liquid smoke internal impregnation. As liquid smoke solutions are referred to, which are obtained by pyrolysis of wood. The generated during in Germany still predominantly applied classic smoking undesirable substances such as ash and tar, are completely eliminated in the preparation of the smoke by filtering and cleaning. The Fumes produced from this product can smoke for all standard smoking methods, such as cold, warm, hot and steam smoking, use. In addition to the desired smoke color and the smoky taste of the required for product durability and texture are achieved.

In the process of pyrolysis of wood chips are heated in the substantial absence of oxygen. The resulting fumes are condensed in water and subsequently freed as far as possible in a multi-stage filtering method of undesirable substances. The condensate is separated by physical processes into three components: an aqueous smoke condensate, a water- insoluble high density tar and a water-insoluble oily phase. The water-insoluble oily phase is a by-product and not suitable for further processing. Some fractions of the water and the tar phase smoke condensate are then cleaned, some of the ingredients harmful to human health, primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAHs), are removed.

Thus one obtains the so-called primary smoke condensate and the Primärteerphase. These two are the primary products and are the basis of further processing to smoke flavorings. This is done by physical means by extraction, distillation, evaporation, absorption or membrane separation and further by adding other flavorings, solvents, food ingredients or food additives.

Ingredients

Smoke condensate or liquid smoke is made up of over 400 chemical compounds (phenols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids ), and is based on the content of organic acids (eg formic acid, acetic acid), phenols, and carbonyls characterized. Phenols give the liquid smoke that smoky flavor, carbonyls produce brown color.

Health aspects

The chemical composition of the smoke is very complex and depends, for example, the type of wood and water content of the wood, on the method of smoke generation and the temperature and oxygen concentration during smoke generation. The generated during smoldering of wood volatiles, ash, tar and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs ), eg Benzo (a) pyrene, penetrate into the surface of the food. Therefore Smoked foods in general give rise to health concerns, particularly in relation to the possible PAH. It was in fact demonstrated in a study that different types of wood for the smoking process for different levels of PAH concentrations in food to be smoked ensure that hazardous materials are, however, included in every case.

Because smoke flavorings from fractionated and purified smoke are produced, their use is generally regarded as the traditional smoking of less health concern. In safety assessments, however, the possibility of wider applications of smoke flavorings in comparison to conventional smoking has to be taken into account. Here are foods such as sauces (eg BBQ sauce), soups and snack mentioned, which are usually not smoked, but been awarded through the use of smoke flavorings a smoke flavor ( can ). When using regenerated smoke from purified smoke condensate, which is used for the fumigation of food in smokehouses, a reduced content of PAH and 3- monochloropropanediol is (3- MCPD ) without changing the sensory and chemical properties determine.

Environmental benefits

The smoking with wiedererzeugtem from condensed smoke smoke should be the preferred smoking methods in terms of increased environmental awareness. The smoking process with smoke condensate not only consumes less material, but is also much more energy efficient. So is emitted up to 500 percent more CO2 when Glimmrauchverfahren from investment technique compared to smoking with smoke from smoke condensate. In addition to the traditional smoking of water consumption is greater and the waste water produced in the flue gas cleaning, significantly more chemicals (alkaline cleaners such as resin remover ) and other pollution load (soot, tar ) is loaded.

Apart from the general emission load in the vicinity of smokehouses, there is also the Glimmrauchverfahren an increased risk of fire due to fire or explosion hazard in the smoke department. In 2008 alone, occurred at least seven cases of fire with (total) one fatality and a total damage amounting to 316 million euros.

Carbon dioxide ( CO2)

In the conventional smoke generation fall to up to 50.8% of the material used as waste which must be disposed of. By cleaning, waste disposal and transport of fumigant fall in conventional smoking methods about 0.5 kg of CO2 per tonne of smoked food to. In the liquid smoke production, however, only 0.84% ​​of the material used are obtained as waste. The substances (tar, charcoal ), which are used not in the liquid smoke, may be used for power generation of process heat and improve the CO2 balance by 0.342 kg per metric ton of smoked foods. Due to the smaller quantity of liquid smoke can be expected with an emission of 0.1 kg CO2 per tonne of smoked foods for cleaning, disposal and transportation.

When using smoldering post-combustion of the flue gases is prescribed. Here, per tonne to räucherndes food consumes about 10 cubic meters of natural gas. This corresponds to 24.85 kg CO2 per tonne of smoked meat product (using the example of smoked ham ). In Friktionsraucherzeugung and liquid smoke production no afterburning is required.

Pollutants

When smoldering of wood emerge substances such as ash, tar and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAHs). The use of smoldering requires a post-combustion of the flue gases. In the exhaust gas of thermal and catalytic afterburning may Emissions of nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide ( NOx), expressed as nitrogen dioxide, the mass concentration of 0.10 g/m3; the same time, emissions of carbon monoxide ( CO) do not exceed the mass concentration 0.10 g/m3. Studies have shown that these values ​​of any of the investigated afterburners have been complied with.

Through the use of smoke condensate Räucheremissionen be avoided in the air for two reasons, and thus the above limits the Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft ) adhered to. The decisive factor is: For the production of liquid smoke does not Fumes from the thermal combustion takes place, and therefore, CO and NOx can not occur. And the smoking process takes place in a closed system. Because of this ecologically positive aspects liquid smoke is rated air as the primary measure to reduce emissions in the TA and is exempt from the requirements of the Federal Pollution Control Act.

With the " smoke seal of quality" for smoked meat and sausage smoke flavoring Manufacturer Red Arrow has introduced a registered trademark of tar and ash freed smoke products.