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Natural and artificial flavours- Functional roles
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Thursday, 13 January, 2022, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Karan Chechi
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Food flavours or additives are compounds that are added to food to improve its taste. Food flavours also aid in product preservation and ensure that the food remains fresh for an extended period. They can be natural or artificial.
Natural flavours are oils, resins, and other extracts from natural sources such as plants, animals, and shellfish. Methods such as heating, or fermentation are used to extract flavour from these natural resources. Artificial tastes are those that are created in the lab rather than derived from nature.
Flavours are a mixture of compounds rather than a single ingredient. Flavourists or scientists who work in this field employ several natural chemicals, artificial chemicals, or a combination of both to create a flavour for a meal. In addition to providing flavour, flavour agents have a functional role by neutralising bitterness from nutritional elements such as particular proteins, fibre, omega-3s, botanicals, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, flavours are most often used as food additives to improve, change, and boost the smell and flavour of natural foods that have been lost due to food preparation.
Some of the commonly found natural flavours in food and beverages are citral, amyl acetate, benzaldehyde, castoreum. These flavours are extracted from sources such as banana, lemon, orange, almonds, cinnamon oil. All of these flavours can also be created in a laboratory using certain chemicals. In this case they will be labelled as artificial flavours.
A chemical flavouring can sometimes be generated from both natural and artificial sources; the end molecule is the same, but the process to create it differs. Artificial flavours are gaining popularity as they contain synthetic chemicals that cost less to produce than natural sources of chemicals. The flavour and scent of vanilla, for example, are due to the component vanillin. Vanillin is derived from a Mexican orchid in nature.
The extraction of this pure, natural substance is both time-consuming and costly. As a result, scientists devised a method of synthesising vanillin in the laboratory. The natural flavour of food can contain just as many chemicals as its artificial version. For instance, the number of chemical components used to generate the artificial strawberry flavour in a fast-food strawberry shake is close to the number of chemicals in a fresh strawberry.
Furthermore, flavours have a technical purpose in food by providing organoleptic qualities, which give each food product a distinct flavour. As a result, flavours are classified as food additives under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), legislation. Vanilla is the most widely used flavour across the world.
It is mainly used in ice cream, candy, cakes, and cookies. It also improves the taste of sweetness and other flavours (like those in chocolate, coffee, fruit, and nuts). Additionally, floral flavours have become one of the most popular flavours in recent years. Floral and fruity flavours are used to give baked items a natural flavour. Furthermore, flowery flavours have grown popular as a result of increased expenditure on natural foods.
The global flavour market has grown dramatically in recent years in the food and beverage industry. The consumption of various foods and beverages has had a major impact on the flavour business. The shift in the tastes and preferences of consumers is leading to an increase in the demand for ready-to-eat food products. As a result, aiding the growth of the food flavour market.
Increased urbanisation, higher disposable incomes, and consequent lifestyle changes have made India an appealing operating area for many international flavour companies eager to diversify their portfolios away from the markets that have reached their saturation point, such as United States and Europe. With nearly half of India's population under the age of 25, and a rise in the number of nuclear households, there has been an increase in growth opportunities available for flavour companies.
The Covid-19 situation has also impacted the flavour industry. A shift in consumer preferences towards natural flavour has been observed. Consumers have recently become more concerned about the long-term health impacts of food additives and artificial flavours. Plant based ingredients are more commonly used by consumers, allowing them to live a healthy lifestyle.
Furthermore, growing consumer awareness regarding natural products (chemical-free) and clean-label ingredients contributes immensely to the growing demand for natural flavours. Customers have become hyper-aware of their health. They're increasingly looking for foods that can help with many aspects of holistic well-being, such as immunity and mental health. Natural flavouring is essential for providing healthier meal compositions with a great taste. Consumers are drawn to flavours that hint at potential health advantages. For instance, increase in demand for citrus flavours that are typically connected with naturally occurring vitamin C, which further aids in boosting immunity.
Hence, to meet the rising demand, market players in the flavour industry are developing products that start with artificial flavourings and progressively transition to natural flavours. Also, improvisation has become crucial to meet the demand of consumers who want to try new things. Aside from the international flavours, traditional and regional Indian cuisines are in high demand. Market players are further expanding their manufacturing units all over the world to extend their products to the potential markets and are also acquiring or merging with other market players to expand their consumer base.
For instance, in 2021, Archer-Daniels-Midland Co launched a new flavour production facility in China in order to accommodate the increasing demand from beverages and the nutritious food sector. Similarly, in 2020, FONA International Inc, a natural flavouring company, was acquired for $10 million in cash by McCormick & Company Inc, a multinational food company that manufactures spices, condiments, seasoning mixes, and flavour items. FONA International's acquisition is planned to broaden McCormick's existing product line and expand skills such as research and development, flavouring expertise, and health and performance nutrition product flavouring.
Additionally, natural flavour makers are increasingly producing food flavours based on the taste and preferences of local populations. Localisation creates a demand for natural food flavour agents that are specific to each region. Furthermore, producing flavours in response to local demand lowers transportation costs because fuel consumption costs are lower than the cost of fuel consumed while delivering products over large distances. For instance, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), operates a manufacturing facility in India that manufactures mint tastes in response to Indian consumer needs.
The safety of flavours is assessed differently in various countries. For instance, all European Union member states adhere to tight restrictions set forth by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which is part of the European Commission. The United States also has strict rules in this sector. Those rules are based on current scientific understanding and evidence on the potential danger of food additives.
Therefore, they are constantly being updated with new information about the safety and potential health effects of food flavours. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO), is responsible for analysing the risks of food additives to human health in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives), is an independent, international expert scientific committee that evaluates the dangers associated with food additives. Only the food additives that have undergone JECFA safety assessment and have been determined to cause no major health risk to the consumers are permitted to be used. Such stringent safety regulations ensure consumer safety in the consumption of flavoured food. These factors are anticipated to further fuel the demand for food flavours in the forecast period.
(The author is research director at TechSci Research)
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