The Advantages of Imitation Flavors

The Advantages of Imitation Flavors
Imitation flavoring have several marked advantages, namely:

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

• They are stable and have a very long shelf live

• They can be designed to withstand severe processing conditions.

• 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, seasoning or other supply considerations.

• 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 the same time, any undesirable characters in the natural flavor profile can be modified or omitted.

• They have a consistency of quality and flavoring effect.

The Advantages of Imitation Flavors

Coriander Oil

Coriander Oil
Botanically name Coriandrum sativum. The annual production of coriander seed oil is about 700 tons, virtually all from the former Soviet Union. Other minor producers are India, Egypt, Romania, South Africa and Poland. Production herb oil in France, the former Soviet Union and Egypt is very limited. Coriander seeds yield 0.9% oil on steam distillation. The fresh herb yield only 0.02% oil. Demand is increasing slightly. The major market is the United States.


The major components of coriander seed oil are typically:
74% linalol (light, lavender)
6% gamma-terpinene (light, citrus, herbaceous)
5% camphor (fresh, camphoraceous)
3% alpha0pinene (light, pine)
2% para-cymene (light, citrus)
2% limonene (weak, light, citrus)
2% geranyl acetate (fruity, floral, rose)


The major component of coriander leaf is
10% dec-2-enal (strong, orange marmalade)


Coriander seed oil can be adulterated with synthetic linalol but this is readily detectable by gas chromatography.


The seed oil is used in a very wide variety of flavor applications. It is part of the traditional flavoring of a number of alcoholic drinks, especially gin. It is widely used in meat seasoning and curry blends. It provides a very attractive natural source of linalol in natural fruit flavors, particularly apricot, the herb oil is very widely used in South Asia seasoning blends but also provides a unique citrus character in natural flavors. There are no legal restrictions on the use of coriander oil in flavorings.
Coriander Oil

Clove oil

Clove oil
Botanically name Eugenia caryophyllata. World production of clove leaf oil is around 2000 tons. Leaf and twigs yield 2% leaf oil, the stems attached to buds and flowers yield 5% stem oil and the buds yield 15% bud oil. Demand for clove oils is static with the main markets currently North America and Western Europe.

The major components of clove oil are typically:

• 81% eugenol (strong, warm, clove)
• 15% caryophyllene (spicy, woody)
• 2% alpha-humulene (woody)
• 0.5% eugenyl acetate (warm, spicy)

The bud oil has so far the finest odor character of the three oils but is also the most expensive. Stem oil used as a substitute for bud oil. Leaf oil is little more than a source of natural eugenol. Adulteration of bud oil by stem, leaf oils, eugenol, and stem oil terpenes is carried out but can be detected by gas chromatography.

Clove oils are used in seasoning blends but also have an interesting part to play in other natural flavors. They form an essential part of the character of banana and a useful background note in blackberry, cherry and smoke flavors. There are no legal constraints on the use of clove oils.
Clove oil