What are Flavouring Agents?

Flavouring Agents: 

There are two classifications of flavours, they can either be: 

 (A) Natural
 (B) Artificial 

The sole purpose of adding Natural & Artificial Flavours to food and beverage products is to enhance the taste of the food or drinks - making it more appetizing for consumption. Flavouring agents include the usage of flavouring substances/extracts/preparations, which are used to give the food its taste or aroma or both. Flavouring agents are of three types. 

Natural Flavours & Flavouring Substances: These are the flavour preparations or single substances, obtained through the physical process of extraction from plants, herbs, spices, animals, or even microbial fermentations. Essential oils and oleoresins that are created by solvent extract with the solvent removed, herbs, spices and sweetness, all come under natural flavours and natural flavouring substance. 

Nature-Identical Flavouring Substances: Nature-identical flavouring substance are obtained by either synthetic methods of extraction or by chemically purifying and isolating the required elements from the source. The result of these processes is an organoleptic product (substances that create an individual experience via the senses, in this case, the senses being taste & smell) intended for consumption by humans. These substances cannot contain any artificial flavouring substances.

Artificial Flavouring Substances: 

Artificial flavouring substance are the flavouring elements that are absent in the natural products but are chemically similar to the natural flavouring. In fact, more easily available, which is why it costs less and is a cheaper option for manufacturers. Amyl acetate is used as banana flavouring which is not the same component that gives banana its actual flavour.

Food Items in Which Flavours Can Be Added: 

• Fruit beverages/fruit drinks/ready-to-serve fruit beverages (canned/bottled/Flexi-pack/aseptically packed). 
• Custard powder. 
• Ice lollies or edible Ices. 
• Paan masala. 
• Canned luncheon meat/canned chopped meat/canned cooked ham 

Food Items in Which Flavours Can Be Added, but with Restrictions: 

• Synthetic syrups or sharbat: must contain only permitted flavours and should be free from any burnt or any objectionable flavours. 
• Interesterified vegetable fat or hydrogenated vegetable oils: As The artificial flavour, as per the list of permissible flavours, should be distinct from that of ghee. 
• Turmeric: It should be free of any artificial flavours and should retain its characteristic flavour. 

Tea/Green Tea: 

• The flavour added must contain proper label declaration. 
• The quality of tea used for flavouring should be of high standards. 
• Registering with the Tea Board is a must for flavour manufacturers. 

Food Items in Which Flavours Cannot Be Added: 

• Shrikhand. 
• Jam or Fruit Cheese. 
• Cornflour. 
• Solvent Extracted Cottonseed Flour. 
• Carob Powder. 

Use of Flavour Enhancers 

 There are some exceptions as to what and where flavour enhancers or flavour agents can be added to. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is one of those exceptions. It may be added to the food products - provided that they follow the regulations subjected to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) level and are under proper label declaration as provided in Regulation of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Such substances need to follow strict restrictions, it cannot be added to any food product consumed by infants that are below 12 months and also in the following list of foods:

• Products containing milk such as buttermilk, malted milk, fermented or renneted milk products (plain) excluding dairy-based drink. 
• Creams that are either pasteurised, sterilised, ultra-high temperature (UHT), and reduced-fat creams. 
• Fats and oils, pulses, oilseeds and grounded/ powdered food grains 
• Products containing butter and concentrated butter-like margarine or fat spread 
• Fresh fruits, surface treated fruit, peeled or cut fruit. 
• Fresh and frozen vegetables. 
• Pastas and noodles (dried products). 
• Fresh meat and poultry, whole pieces or cuts or comminuted. Fish products (fresh and processed) 
• Egg products (fresh, liquid, frozen) 
• White and semi-white sugar (sucrose and saccharose, fructose, glucose (dextrose), xylose, sugar solutions and syrups, also (partially) inverted sugars, including molasses, treacle and sugar toppings. Other sugars and syrups (e.g. brown sugar and maple syrup), 
• Honey, saccharine 
• Spices, salts, herbs, condiments, seasonings, oriental seasoning mix, fermented soya bean paste, yeast 
• Mineral, packaged and carbonated drinking water 
• Concentrates (liquid and solid) for fruit juices. 
• Fruit nectar (canned/bottled) 
• Coffee and its substitutes such as teas, herbal infusions, and other cereal beverages (with the exception of cocoa). 
• Alcoholic beverage and wines 
• Fruits and vegetables products except those where monosodium glutamate is permitted under these Regulations. 
• Baking powder 
• Plantation sugar, jaggery 
• Ice-candies, 
• ice-creams and frozen sweets 
• Cocoa butter 
• Bread 
• Vinegar
• Sugar confectionery, toffee, lozenges, chocolate 
• Paan masala 

How flavour manufacturers can assist you in your quest to find the right flavouring agents? 

The main focus of flavour manufacturers is putting forward innovative ideas, turning them into delectable food products and providing the customers with a multi-sensory, unique & delicious experience. Flavour manufacturers are not just successfully creating new flavours but also delivering concepts, ideas and complete solutions, providing the market with new impulses and helping the industry tap into the full potential of its brands and products.

Flavour manufacturers are creating and providing flavours that are suitable for application to a wide range of products, right from bakery and dairy to savoury, confectionery and beverage flavours. This team of food-technologists are also guiding and helping food manufacturers regarding flavour applications, stability, dosages, standard recipes, food science, food chemistry, and any other parameters relevant to flavours and finished products.