Food essence
Dr Prasad S Variyar and Dr Arun Sharma share some
amazing details on flavour molecules and their
identification processes
Food is fundamental to our existence. The
evolution of our sensory perception has
enhanced our capacity to detect a wide
range of compounds present in our
environment, that appeal to our senses and are
advantageous to our survival. Taste, aroma,
texture and colour are some of the major
sensory attributes by which, a food is judged by
the consumer. All these parameters are
typically integrated in our brain to provide the
overall sensory quality termed as flavour.
Aroma/odour and taste, however, are the most
important contributors to the flavour of food.
Flavour and fragrance ingredients are the
largest group of intentional additives used by
the food and personal care industries. They
are also the most profitable items of business
registering the highest rate of growth in
recent history. Rapid developments in the
field of analytical chemistry, as well as
development of new and important synthetic
flavours that could economically replace those
derived from natural sources, has contributed
to the widespread acceptance of flavours in
processed foods and beverages. Three main
classes into which flavouring ingredients are
classified are listed below:
• Essential oils and natural extracts:
These are aromatic material obtained from
botanical or animal sources and are used to
impart scent or aroma, for formulating
flavour formulations or for isolation of
aroma chemicals
• Aroma chemicals: These are organic
compounds with defined chemical structures
obtained from natural sources or produced by
chemical synthesis. Aroma chemicals are used
to compound flavours
• Formulated flavours and fragrances:
These are complex blends of aromatic
materials - such as essential oils and their
natural derivatives - as well as aroma
chemicals containing up to 100 or more
constituents, used by the food and beverage,
tobacco and pharmaceutical industries.
Consumption of flavours and fragrances in
2004 was estimated at US$18.4 billion and is
forecast to grow at 4.7 per cent per annum.
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