Cassia oil

Cassia oil
It’s extracted from plant Cinnamonum cassia. Virtually all of the more than 500 tons of cassia oil produced annually originate in China. Very small quantities are produced in Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam. Leaves, twigs, and sometimes inferior bark 0.3% oil by water distillation. Demand is increasing steadily despite unpredictable production levels in China.

The major quantitative components of the oil are typically:

• 85% cinnamaldehyde (spicy warm, cinnamon)
• 11% o-methoxy cinnamaldehyde (musty, spicy)
• 6% cinnamyl acetate (sweet, balsamic)

Other qualitatively important components are:

• 1% benzaldehyde (bitter almond)
• 0.4% ethyl cinnamate (balsamic, fruity)
• 0.2% salicylaldehyde (pungent, phenolics)
• 0.2% coumarin (sweet, hay)

Coumarin is suspected of being toxic. Cinnamaldehyde is the most important contributor to the characteristic odor of cassia but o-methoxy cinnamaldehyde is mainly responsible for the unique note which distinguishes cassia from cinnamon oil. Cassia oil is often imported in a crude state and required redistillation to improve the odor and remove metallic impurities. Adulteration of the oil with cinnamaldehyde is practiced but can be easily detected by gas chromatography.

In the flavor industry, the oil makes a unique contribution. In its own right, it is a major part of the traditional; flavor of cola drinks. It is used in confectionary, sometimes in conjunction with capsicum oleoresin. Use of cassia oil in other natural flavors is restricted to cherry, vanilla and some nuts flavors. There are no legal constraints in the use of cassia oil in flavors.
Cassia oil

Advantages of Using Imitation Flavors

Advantages of Using Imitation Flavors
Imitation flavorings have several marked advantages, namely:

• In flavorings power they are usually much cheaper than the equivalent natural product necessary to produce the same flavoring effect (even where this is possible) and usually much less sensitive to changing cost.

• They are stable and have a very long shelf life.

• They can be designed to withstand severe processing condition.

• They are highly concentrated and can be produced in a variety of forms (e.g., alcohol based, oil based, or other permitted solvent based solutions or encapsulated powders) suitable for specific applications.

• Within modern manufacturing constraints they are generally readily available being independent of natural cropping, seasonal or other supply consideration.

• They can be tailor made to give the optimum desired flavor effect. This flexibility leads to an ability to create product distinctiveness. Any fruit - or indeed fruit at a particular stage of ripeness – can be imitated; and at a same time, any undesirable characters in the natural flavor profile can be modified or omitted.

• They have a consistency of quality and flavoring effect.

Advantages of Using Imitation Flavors

Sweetener: Molasses, Honey and Maple Sugar

Sweetener: Molasses, Honey and Maple Sugar
Molasses
Molasses can be considered a by product of sugar production. The use of molasses as a sweetener in human food is largely in baked goods that include bread, cookies, and cakes. In addition to sweetening, molasses adds flavor and acts as a humectant. It is also used in baked beans and in the production of rum and molasses alcohol. The greatest use of molasses, however, is in the production of animal feeds. Molasses comprises about 60% sucrose but the sucrose content can be lower, depending on the grade of the molasses and on the raw material from which it was produced. Thus, the sucrose content of cane blackstrap (the final fraction of cane molasses) is only about one half that of beet blackstrap (the final fraction of beet molasses). The fractions produced before the blackstrap are higher grades and are those usually used for human consumption. Blackstrap generally is used for industrial purposes.

Honey
Honey, a natural viscous syrup, comprises mainly invert sugar. It is produced from the nectars of flowers, which is mainly sucrose, by the action of invertase enzyme that is secreted by the honey bee. Honey is used as a direct sweetener, as an additive in a number, including baked goods, as well as other ways. It is relatively expensive.

Maple Sugar
Maple sugar is produced from sap of the sugar maple tree. It comprises mainly sucrose and small amounts of other sugars, including invert sugar. Maple sugar is used in the manufacture of candies, fudge, baked goods, and toppings. It is among the most expensive of sweetener.
Sweetener: Molasses, Honey and Maple Sugar