Production of vanillin

Vanillin is the most important flavour compound in vanilla, and is often used to replace the extract. Vanillin can be obtained from vanilla beans, but because the high costs of the beans, various other production methods have been developed.

It is produced though fermentation of unripe fruits of Vanilla planifolia. Vanilla extract ocnatin vanillin as a major component (2-3%), the flavor, moreover , result from the composition of a host of many accompanying compounds, such as p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2) and vanillic acid (3).

By far the cheapest production method is chemical synthesis. Most of the vanillin used in foods and by other industries is synthetic. For many years, vanillin was obtained from lignin by alkaline hydrolysis, since conifer wood contains up to 30% of its lignin as coniferyl alcohol derived from ferulic acid.

Today most synthetic vanillin is synthesized chemically from guaiacol in a cleaner process that has reduced the environmental impact compared with production from lignin.
Production of vanillin

Flavor of vanillin

Vanilla is the most popular and widely used flavor in both a dollar and tonnage basis. Vanilla extract is obtained by aqueous ethanolic extraction of cured vanilla beans, the pod-like fruit of vanilla, a tropical climbing orchid.

Vanillin is the main component in vanilla. Vanillin (3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde) has a soothing, pleasant aroma. Its molecular weight is relatively low, and it is fairly volatile. Cooking with vanilla vaporizes some of the vanillin molecules and fills the room with its aroma.

Vanillin is a compound that possesses both a phenolic and an aldehydic group. It is capable of undergoing a number of different types of chemical reactions. Addition reactions are possible owing to the reactivity of the aromatic nucleus.

Vanilla pod

The oxygen-containing groups attached to the ring in vanillin can form strong hydrogen bonds with water, making it water soluble (about a gram of vanillin can be dissolved in 100 mL of cold water).

Natural vanillin has odor and taste characteristics that are closer to vanilla than synthetic vanillin.

In flavor formulations, vanillin is used widely either as a sweetener or as a flavor enhancer, not only in imitation vanilla flavor, but also in butter, chocolate and all types of fruit flavors, root beer, cream soda etc.

Vanillin is valued also for other properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Flavor of vanillin

Flavoring Agents

Flavoring Agents
Flavoring agents are the largest single group of food additives. Food and beverage applications of flavors include dairy, fruit, nut, seafood, spice blends, vegetables and wine flavoring agents. They may complement, magnify, or modify the taste and aroma of the foods.

There are over 1200 different flavoring agents used in foods to create flavor or replenish flavors lost or diminished in processing, and hundreds of chemicals may be used to simulate nature flavors. Alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, protein hydrolysates and MSG are examples of flavoring agents.

Natural flavoring substances are extracted from plants, herbs and spices, animals, or microbial fermentations. They also include essential oils and oleoresins (created by solvent extract with solvent removed), herbs, spices and sweetness.

Synthetic flavoring agents are chemically similar to natural flavorings, and offer increased consistency in use and availability. They may be less expensive and more readily available than the natural counterpart although they may not adequately simulate the natural flavor. Some examples of synthetic flavoring agents include amyl acetate, used as banana flavoring benzaldehyde, used to create cherry or almond flavor, ethyl butyrate for pineapple, methyl anthranilate for grape, methyl salicylate for wintergreen flavor, and fumaric acid, which is an ideal source of tartness and acidity in dry foods.

Flavor enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) intensify or “bring out,” enhance or supplement the flavor of other compounds in food; they have a taste outside of the basic sweet, sour, salty or bitter. Monosodium glutamate was chemically derived from seaweed in the early 1900s, but is manufactured commercially by the fermentation of starch, molasses, or sugar.
Flavoring Agents

Disadvantages of Using Imitation Flavors

Disadvantages of Using Imitation Flavors
The need of imitation versions of naturally occurring flavors is undoubtedly present; but before considering their virtues it is also well to establish their disadvantages. Imitation flavorings based on synthetic organics may present the following problems:

The imitation flavor may pose difficulties in labeling and must always be formulated so as to comply with any legislation in the country ibn which the end product is to be consumed.

The original natural flavor is often, but not always, of a more subtle and acceptable character whereas the imitation version may be described as “chemical.”

Many natural flavor have a built in reservoir of flavor precursors which, under certain conditions, can results in the generation of additional flavor – a feature which is absent in imitation flavors.

Imitation flavors generally require the use of either a solvent or a carrier. These may be restricted by legislation or may pose problems with texture in the end of product.
Disadvantages of Using Imitation Flavors

Essential oil, fruit extracts and synthetic flavorings

Essential oil, fruit extracts and synthetic flavorings
Essential oils form a major source of flavorings. Essential oils are odorous components of plants and plant materials that are the characteristics odors of the materials from which they are extracted, because of the large production of juice, quantity of essential oil of orange are produced as by-products. For this reason, there is a little need for the production of synthetic orange flavoring.

Fruit extracts have been used as flavorings, but these are relatively weak when compared to essential oils and oleoresins. An oleoresin is a solvent extract of spices from which the solvent, usually a hydrocarbon, has been removed by distillation, Because of their weak effects, fruit extracts may be intensified by combining them with other flavorings. Synthetic flavorings usually less expensive and more plentiful than natural flavorings. On the other hand, natural flavorings are often more acceptable. In fact, one of the problems with natural flavorings is that they may vary according to season and other controllable variables.

Synthetic flavorings, however, can be reproduced quite accurately,. Many artificial flavors, such as amyl acetate (artificial bananas flavor), benzaldehyde (artificial cherry flavor) , and ethyl caproate (artificial pineapple flavor), are added to confectionaries, baked products, softdrinks, and ice-cream. These flavorings are added in concentrations of 0.03% or less.
Essential oil, fruit extracts and synthetic flavorings

Natural or Imitation Flavorings – Which one to be used?

Natural or Imitation Flavorings – Which one to be used?
This is question to which there is no one answers. Price, availability of raw materials, permissibility under current legislation and the type of end-product in which the flavoring is to be used are all factors which determine whether it is better to use an entirely natural flavor or one compounded using synthetic organic chemicals or a mixture of the two. A survey of the technical literature over the past decade bears ample evidence of the considerable and rightful importance of flavor on what we eat and drink.

Our understanding of the chemistry and toxicology of our food and flavor adjuncts is constantly improving but in spice of this there is still a lack of appreciation in the lay mind of the true nature of flavor whether it be intrinsic to the food or added during processing. There is a tendency to assume a higher degree of confidence in the wholesomeness and safety of natural foods and natural flavors than those based on chemicals. There is a marked prejudice against imitation flavors compared with those of natural origin even where it can be demonstrated that chemically they are identical. To the lay man the chemical “chemical” is highly emotive and is equated with “second rate,” “poor quality” or “substitute”. It is difficult to understand the reason for this. Such opinions are frequently without any foundation and are usually stirred up by articles and opinion expressed in the media.

To those directly concerned with the drafting of legislation governing what maybe used with safety in foodstuffs and beverages, such as ill founded opinions form a poor basis for decision. In spite of vociferous clamor there is an increasing pressure to provide more food for an ever increasing population and it is necessary to widen one’s view and base one’s opinions of real or imaginary dangers not on mere feelings but on result s of well designed biological tests conducted under carefully control conditions, supported by a wealth of human experience.

Most people recognize that all matter is made up of chemical of varying degrees of complexity but prefer to ignore that fact that the substances which are responsible for odor and flavor in nature are also chemical and, indeed, embraced virtually all classes and functional groups of both inorganic and organic compounds. Such chemicals have the same properties whether they be made by natural biosynthesis in the plant or by synthesis in a chemical laboratory or manufacturing plant. Plants and animal are after all, really extremely efficient chemical factories capable of carrying out very complex reactions with a minimum of effort and in a far simpler way than can be achieved in the laboratory.

Many of the most prized natural flavors arise out of the natural metabolic functions of the plant or animal and may indeed be mere waste products of that process. In some cases the flavor most sought after is produced by subsequent treatment. In most cases the flavoring chemicals represent only a minor part of the natural plant material so that concentration is necessary before they can be of any value as an added flavoring.
Natural or Imitation Flavorings – Which one to be used?

Nature of flavor components

The range of natural and synthetic flavorings available to the modern food technologists is very large. Essential oils form a major source of flavorings.

Essential oils are odorous components of plants and plant materials that are characteristics odors of the materials form which they are extracted. Because of the large production of orange juice, quality of essential oil of orange are produced as by products.

For this reason, there is little need for the production of synthetic orange flavorings. Fruits extract has being used as flavorings, but these are relatively weak when compared to essential oils and oleoresins.

An oleoresin is a solvents extract of spices from which the solvent, usually a hydrocarbon, has been removed by distillation. Because of their weak effects, fruits extract may be intensified by combining them with other flavor.

Synthetic flavorings are usually less expensive and more plentiful than natural flavorings. On the other hand, natural flavorings are often more acceptable. However, they are quite complex and difficult to reproduce synthetically.

In fact, one of the problems with natural flavorings is that they may vary according to their season and their uncontrollable variance.

Synthetic flavorings, however, can be reproduced quite accurately, many artificial flavors, such as amyl acetate (artificial banana flavor), benzaldehyde(artificial cherry flavor), and ethyl caproate(artificial pineapple flavor), are added to confectioneries, baked products, soft drinks, and ice cream. These flavorings are added in concentrations of 0.03% or less.
Food Flavor

Classification of natural food flavor

Food Flavor
Natural food flavor generally may classify into three distinct groups.
Low flavor impact
Medium flavor impact
High flavor impact

Those in the group in the first form the basis of a staple diet providing a full range of protein, fats, carbohydrate and vitamins necessary to maintain the body in good health.

Those in the second group occupy half way place in that they are usually eaten in the natural state either as part of a meal to produce entirely different flavor sensation the mouth, or at other times as a snack.
Food flavor