Flavor enhancer

Flavor enhancers have a ability to enhance flavors at a level below which they contribute any flavor of their own.

An enhancer’s effect is apparent to the senses as ‘feeling’, ‘volume’, ‘body’ or ‘freshness’ of the aroma, and also by the speed of aroma perception.

Close to 2000 artificial flavors and flavor enhancers are approved to be used in food, making them the largest single group of food additives.

They are flavor enhancers obtained from vegetable proteins such as yeast extract, soy protein, wheat gluten, corn gluten, defatted soy flour and defatted cottonseeds.

In the food industry amino acids are used alone or in combination to enhance flavors. One of the most common amino acids used as a flavor enhancer is also the salt of glutamic acid or monosodium glutamate (MSG).

One of the reasons MSG is used so frequently is to provide the basic taste known as Umami or delicious or savory. MSG is found in all manner of component of the modern Asian diet, from prepared stocks and stock cubes, virtually all fast food and flavored noodles.

Disodium inosinate is used as flavor enhancer commercially since 1960. It is often used with disodiun guanylate and MSG which act synergistically to produce a meaty flavor.

By adding flavor enhancer, food manufacturers can use smaller amounts of expensive meat extracts in powdered soup mixes, ham and chicken salad spreads, sauces and canned vegetables.
Flavor enhancer