Flavorings are essential for the food industry
The substance that is incorporated into certain products with the aim of giving them a certain smell is called flavoring . What the flavoring does, therefore, is aromatize : provide aroma (a smell that is pleasant).
in food
It is common for flavorings to be used in food . By altering the organoleptic properties of foods , with flavorings it is possible to make them more acidic , salty or sweet , for example.
It should be noted that the flavor is always conditioned by the smell . In this way, flavorings are very important in gastronomic preparations. They are even used to mask unpleasant odors, making the product more appetizing.
Flavorings can be classified according to their origin. Natural flavorings are obtained from seeds , spices , fruits , etc., through enzymatic, physical or other processes. Among these flavorings are essential oils .
Identically natural flavorings or identical natural flavorings , meanwhile, are obtained by chemical processes or synthesis and are, on a chemical level, the same as natural flavorings. Artificial flavorings , finally, are produced in laboratories after identifying the chemical structure that natural aromas present.
Industrial flavorings
For a food product factory to incorporate flavorings, it must meet certain standards and receive authorization corresponding to the legislation of its country. Furthermore, it is mandatory that the presence of these substances be reflected expressly and clearly on the package labels, always including the term "aroma", and adding "natural" if it comes from animals or plants, although the latter is not necessary.
Although the percentage of flavorings present in industrial foods is very low (it usually does not exceed 0.1% of their total weight ), they are considered essential for the market, because people are accustomed to the effects they have on their properties. The origin of the molecules that cause the aroma is not the same in all cases: it can arise during the ripening of a fruit, during cooking, etc.
The economic investment to reproduce a known chemical substance is moderate, something that is reflected in the production of anise and vanilla flavorings , for example. In other cases, natural sources are taken and isolated; In this way, eugenol is obtained from clove oil. It is worth mentioning that the fact that a flavoring arises from nature does not always make it safer. Sassafras essence, a flavoring long used in soft drinks, contained a large proportion of safrole , a cancer- causing substance.
Other flavorings
The substance used to perfume objects or the environment is also called a flavoring agent. There are liquid flavorings , aerosol flavorings and gel flavorings , among others, that reproduce the smell of roses, lemon or vanilla, to name a few possibilities.
Incense and burning oils are harmful flavorings for health
Among the most popular flavorings are those that are applied to clothing . In addition, flavorings used inside automobiles are common. There are also burn flavorings , which are very popular incenses or oils, but dangerous for health.
Nowadays it is very common for people to use home air fresheners, not only to disguise certain unpleasant odors but also to adapt the environment to their own tastes . Although cleaning the house is a task that we must carry out regularly, larger families that include children and pets generally cannot maintain it as they would like, because the latter leave stains and food remains at every step. In this case, flavorings can be an ideal solution.