flavouring

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Introduction

also spelled  Flavoring,  

      any of the liquid extracts, essences, and flavours that are added to foods to enhance their taste and aroma. Flavourings are prepared from essential oils (essential oil), such as almond and lemon; from vanilla; from fresh fruits by expression; from ginger by extraction; from mixtures of essential oils and synthetic organic chemicals; or entirely from synthetic chemicals, with alcohol, glycerol, propylene glycol, alone or in combination, as solvents. Water is added and sometimes certified food colour as well.

      Extracts, essences, and flavours employing only natural flavouring agents are called pure; those employing synthetics (in part or entirely) are called imitation, or artificial, flavourings.

      Essential oils, which are complex substances derived from plants, consist of a number of organic chemical components such as alcohols, aldehydes, ethers, esters, hydrocarbons (terpenes, sesquiterpenes, etc.), ketones, lactones, phenols, and phenol ethers. Nearly all of these organic chemicals have been synthesized, and it is these synthetics that are used in the manufacture of imitation flavourings.

Essential-oil extracts.

      These extracts are prepared by dissolving an essential oil in alcohol of the proper strength, adding water and, where desirable and permitted by law, a small amount of certified food colour. They include almond, anise, celery, cassia or cinnamon, clove, lemon, nutmeg, orange, rosemary, savory, basil, sweet marjoram, thyme, and wintergreen.

Nonalcoholic flavouring extracts.

      Nonalcoholic flavouring extracts are prepared by employing glycerol or propylene glycol or a combination of these to bring the essential oil into solution, with added water, and sometimes food colour.

True fruit flavours.

      True fruit flavours are obtained by expression, concentration, or distillation of fresh fruits. The alcoholic content of the finished product is usually between 18 and 22 percent to prevent fermentation.

Imitation, artificial extracts, essences, and flavours.

      Imitation, artificial extracts, essences, and flavours are prepared by bringing into solution with alcohol, glycerol, or propylene glycol various synthetic flavouring agents to formulate an extract, essence, or flavour with the likeness of the flavour of the fruit, spirit, or liqueur for which it is named. These preparations cover a wide range of flavourings including vanilla, lemon, lime, banana, cherry, butterscotch, brandy, and rum.

      Some contain few ingredients, others many. Imitation vanilla extract may be prepared with synthetic vanillin, coumarin (now prohibited in the United States and Canada), heliotropin, glycerol, water, and caramel colouring.

      Imitation strawberry flavour may contain 10, 12, or more synthetic organic chemicals including aldehyde C16, aldehyde C14, benzyl acetate, methyl anthranilate, amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, and ethyl propionate, with solvents and added colour, according to the particular manufacturer's art, skill, and experience in bringing out the fullest and most realistic flavour.

      Imitation brandy flavour may contain, with other organic chemicals, ethyl oenanthate, methyl succinate, ethyl acetate, and ethyl propionate.

      Certain synthetic organic chemicals lend a distinctive note to imitation flavourings—for example, allyl caproate and ethyl butyrate to pineapple, benzaldehyde to almond, benzyl butyrate to raspberry, and citral to lemon.

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