Flavorings can be divided into three principal types: "natural flavorings", "nature-identical flavorings", and "artificial flavorings".[3] In the United States, they are traditionally divided into natural and artificial flavorings, where the latter includes nature-identical flavorings.[4] In contrast, European legislation does not distinguish natural and nature-identical flavorings, while only the term "natural" is subject to some regulation.
Natural flavorings
Natural flavorings are edible aroma compounds that are found in nature, not made by man. In nature, they always occur with other natural substances that also may be flavorings. By means of non-chemical technology, natural flavorings can be isolated on industrial scale, to be used as an additive.
Techniques to obtain natural flavorings include the use of enzymes and/or micro organisms. European legislators have accepted flavorings produced by manmade genetically modified organisms (GMO's) – not found in nature – as natural flavorings.
Nature-identical flavorings
Nature-identical flavorings are human-made aroma compounds that are chemically identical to some substance that can be found in nature. They are synthesized from chemicals or isolated by means of chemical processes.
Because nature-identical flavorings can be produced at low costs, the food industry will argue that nature-identical and natural flavorings are exactly the same. They have the advantage to be chemically pure, without allergens that may be coupled with natural flavorings. On the other hand, they are missing the synergy of other substances present in their natural origin, so they may lack subtlety.
Artificial flavorings
Artificial flavorings are synthesized from chemical
substances by man and are not found in nature. Their sensory characteristics
mostly resemble that of natural or nature-identical flavorings.
(Source: Internet)
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