|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natural and artificial flavours that influence the way we smell and taste food
|
|
Saturday, 16 October, 2021, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
|
|
Dr Rashmi P
|
Flavour is the perceptual influence of food and other substances which is a combination of taste and smell majorly. Flavours or flavouring agents are used to enhance the aesthetic properties of food by altering the smell and taste. Apart from food, they are also used in the beverages, dairy, confectionery industries as well as pharmaceuticals.
Flavours are categorised into natural and artificial flavours commonly. Natural flavours are the extracts of spices, fruits, vegetables, bark, buds, leaves, meat, seafood, poultry, and dairy products, whereas artificial flavours are extracted from petroleum products. Both are chemicals themselves. Natural flavours may be individual compounds or mixtures of compounds, but artificial flavours are pure chemicals. As per USFDA, natural flavour is an essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis derived from the above-mentioned sources whose significant function is flavouring rather than nutritional.
Artificial flavour is any substance that is not covered under natural flavour.Chemical constituents responsible for flavour in natural flavouring agents are also synthesised in the lab in pure form and are known as Natural identical/like flavours. They simulate a natural flavour without using the real source ingredient of that flavour. They are considered artificial most of the time and sometimes as a separate class.
Vanilla, Paprika, butter flavours are the most common among natural flavours. Some examples of chemical flavouring agents are, esters are fruity, ketones and pyrazines provide caramel flavour, phenolics have a smoky flavour and terpenoids have citrus or pine flavour.
As natural flavours are specific chemicals isolated from natural sources, they are generally mixtures of various chemical ingredients(Carbohydrates -honey), complex volatile oil (anise oil, aldehydes- vanillin). The quality of natural flavouring agents depends on crop quality, location, harvesting time, pest control.
Moreover, they are available in very small quantities. Hence,it is difficult for small scale industries to produce natural flavours. All these factors along with tedious, time-consuming direct extraction and purifications processes make them more expensive and non-consistent.
On the other hand, artificial flavours are synthesised in the labs, ata lower cost and with greater purity and consistency. They are stable for a long time and independent of harvesting seasons. Esters, Ketones, Alcohols, Phenolics, Pyrazines and terpenoids are commonly used synthetic flavours. Chemically synthesised flavours often result in production processes that are unfriendly to the environment as well asthe formation of undesirable by-products that reduces process yield which increases the cost.
One more fact which limits the use of artificial flavours is, artificial flavours contain a small number of constituents, even sometimes only one constituent, they cannot precisely duplicate the flavour of the complex mixture. So, while tasting artificially flavoured food, people will be able to identify the principal flavour but they feel ‘missing something’.
Some of the artificial flavouring agents derived from petroleum products raise the risk of potential health hazards, on which debates and discussions are still going on. Contaminants like 4-aminobiphenyl, 4-aminobenzene, and Benzidine are considered to be carcinogenic and one should be careful while using them.
As most customers prefer natural flavouring agents according to a market survey, many advanced techniques are used to produce natural flavours in the lab. One such method is the use of biocatalysts and microorganisms. Other biotechnological methods are also emerging but were found to be expensive and need investment in terms of scientists as well as expenses. Production of flavours by fermentation (vanillin production by using ferulic acid as substrate and fermented by Aspergillusniger), or enzymatic catalysis of agricultural waste (vanillin from wood pulp waste-lignocellulose), plant cells (cinnamaldehyde from cinnamon, monoterpenes by strawberry,ß-Vetivone-woody aroma, from tropical grass the vetiver) are becoming more convenient and are also considered as natural in many countries.
Classical fermentation from a sugar source, microbial conversion of a natural precursor, Enzymatic conversion of a natural precursor molecule using a plant homogenate are some of the basic methods used. Many other issues are popping up in these methods also. Residues of microbes, fermentation products, debris are posing many health issues like allergy, bronchial disorders. Another limitation is that many processes will be economically feasible.
Irrespective of the source, method of production, many flavouring agents bring side effects like central nervous system depression, bronchial irritation, headache, adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, vitamin deficiencies (Vitamin B6 deficiency by caramel).
Based on research data,FSSAI has put restrictions on the usage of the following as flavouring agents in food.
• Tonkabean (Dipteraadorat)
• Coumarin and dihydrocoumarin
• Ethyl Methyl Ketone
• Safrole and Isosafrole
• Methyl ß naphthyl Ketone
• Ethyl-3-Phenylglycidate
• ß-asarone and cinnamyl anthracite
• Estragole
• Eugenyl methyl ether
• p-Propylanisole
• Thujone and isothujone a & ß thujone
Current trend
There is a demand for functional health benefits like immunity from the flavours because of Covid-19. There is also a demand for nostalgic flavours as a source of comfort during the pandemic. Manuka honey was the top flavour during the pandemic because of the label ‘immunity boost’. Due to the ongoing pandemic, any label like ‘anti-microbial’ with flavours of clove, garlic, cinnamon etc., will drive the market.
Currently,the trend is going towards the combination of flavours that bring comfort as flavours may provide soothing constant. Flavours like grapefruit, lemon and lime may remain popular, other classic flavours may return in more sophisticated forms. There may be a renaissance of these nostalgic flavours — peanut butter, orange creamsicle, grape cotton candy or consumers may be back for common flavour as normalcy returns.
(The author is associate professor, Neel Saroj Institute of Pharmacy – Bengaluru. She can be reached at dr.rashmip123@gmail.com)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|