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.
