The importance of flavor substance

Flavorings are cosmetic additives that are used in processed food and drink products. They are used extensively by the food industry, partly to disguise unpleasant flavors and odors created by processing, but especially to minimize costs by enabling cheap ingredients, such as fats, sugars and carbohydrates, to appear as if they came from expensive and tasty ones, such as fruit, coffee or chocolate.

*The substance responsible for the bitter flavor of fruit, especially in the cases of the grapefruit, navel orange, Valencia orange, is a triterpenoid dilactone denominated limonin. Limonin emerged as an important aroma-active compound in sensory directed research of fresh lemon oil and also accounts for a large portion of lemon oil. Limonin is a naturally occurring compound that contributes to the bitter flavor of citrus fruits. This is the substance which actually give citrus fruits their characteristic sharpness. It is present in the fruit as the non-bitter precursor molecule limonoate. The limonin is a natural bactericide whose main function is to prevent the plant from contracting diseases.

*These substances contribute to the umami or delicious food flavor when they are used at levels that exceed their own threshold of detection, increasing the aromas to levels below their own thresholds of detection. The most known representatives of this group are the monosodic L- glutamate (MSG). Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of several forms of glutamic acid found in foods, in large part because glutamic acid (an amino acid) is pervasive in nature. MSG is used in the food industry as a flavor enhancer with an umami taste that intensifies the meaty, savory flavor of food, as naturally occurring glutamate does in foods such as stews and meat soups.

*The phenolic compounds are very important in food products like wine, especially the coumaric acid, cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, gentisic acid and ferulic acid that are synthetized through a common metabolic pathway starting from the phenylalanine. Polyphenols are abundant micronutrients in our diet, and evidence for their role in the prevention of degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases is emerging. The polyphenols are important in the plants´ physiology because they contribute to the resistance to microorganisms and insects and help to preserve their integrity during their continuous exposure to stressful environments, including ultraviolet radiations and relatively high temperatures.

*The menthol of plant origin is the product of the natural distillation of mint leaves. Its composition is identical to that of the mint, but of a higher concentration of elements. The menthol is used for sweets (pills, chewing gum, etc.). It is an intestinal antiseptic, anaesthetic and decongestant.

Many foods are consumed almost entirely for the pleasure value they impart. Products such as coffee, chocolate, ice cream and of course alcohol are often consumed to enhance positive states of mind, or at least to reduce the effects of the negative ones.
The importance of flavor substance