Take a look at flavors and fragrances for food

When people buy pre-packaged food on weekdays, they are used to looking at the food ingredient list. What are the substances that often appear in the ingredient list, such as "food flavors and fragrances", what are "food flavors"? And how to get it?

01

How do you get flavors and fragrances?

　　In layman's terms, there are many plants and animals in nature that have flavors, and they are the source of fragrances. People extract the substances with fragrance through physical methods (distillation, cold pressing, cold pressing, dry distillation, etc.) or enzyme method, microbial method, and then there is the original fragrance, and later people can synthesize the fragrance substances with clear chemical structure through chemical methods. Flavors therefore include both natural and synthetic flavors. For example, vanilla, peppermint, Sambucus seed, lemongrass, cinnamon, small-flowered jasmine, white orchid, citrus, seaweed (seafood spice), etc., are the raw materials of plant-based natural flavors. In the pursuit of food color, aroma, and taste of the trend, food flavors and fragrances derived from a large family of more than a thousand types, mainly alcohols, ethers, phenols, esters, aldehydes, terpenes, and so on.

02

Can food flavors and fragrances be added to all foods?

　　Food flavors and fragrances are not allowed to be added to any food. China's national mandatory standard GB 2760-2014 "Food Safety National Standard for the Use of Food Additives" stipulates that 28 types of food are not allowed to add food flavors and fragrances, such as pasteurized milk, vegetable fats and oils, rice, wheat flour, sugar, salt and salt-substituted products, tea, coffee and so on.

03

Can I add as much or as little flavor as I want?

　　Flavors and fragrances are self-limiting because of their strong smell, which means that when exceeding a certain amount, their fragrance will be unacceptable, turning it into "the ultimate aroma is stink". Therefore, usually, even if the food is allowed to add flavors and fragrances, the content of flavors and fragrances in its ingredients will not exceed 2%. And in the specific food product standards will also specify the limited value of flavors and fragrances, and then regulate their addition to ensure the flavor of food while protecting the safety of food.