Food Processing - November 2007 - (Page 34)

AROMAS Aromas not only enhance ﬂavor, they can enhance mood. Since the 1920s, scientists have noted powerful, mood-enhancing effects from such “comfort” aromas as cinnamon and clove. dient? Would you like to know how your product stacks up against a competitor’s products? Different questions require different kinds of sensory testing, different objectives and different time lines,” Drake adds. Preserving the aroma Given the nature of odor molecules – volatilized compounds – time is their natural enemy. Thus, reducing the rate at which aroma molecules evaporate protects the ﬂ avor and aroma of food. “Acidulants are known to affect the rate of evaporation of various volatile ingredients,” explains Barbara Heidolph, food marketing technical service and applications specialist for St. Louis-based ICL Performance Products LP (www.astaris. com). “Acidulants and acid salts can control the pH of a food or beverage via adjustment and buffering. Such acidulants and acid salts include the organic acids, such as adipic acid, citric MORE ON THE WEB You can sniff out more aroma info at www.foodprocessing.com. Entering “aromas” into the search bar will yield more than 100 articles and product proﬁles. 34 • FOOD PROCESSING NOVEMBER 2007 acid and malic acid, or inorganic acids, such as phosphoric acid. “Each acid has an ideal buffering range,” Heidolph continues, “so its selection can be made based on the product’s target pH. Acid salts also may be used. Monosodium phosphate is one of the best buffering agents available. When monosodium phosphate and disodium phosphate are used in combination, they can target a speciﬁc pH and maintain it.” While ICL does not make products that enhance aromas in food, the company does make ingredients that may affect the rate of evaporation of various volatile compounds and aid in aroma stabilization, thereby controlling the aroma of the food. The company’s technical experts work with the formulators to aid in selection of the right ingredient for their application as well as assist in process design, materials of construction and packaging. Other functional ingredients may aid in aroma enhancement. These include: sequestrants, enzymes and of course antioxidants. “Antioxidants help to stabilize the food and prevent deleterious reactions including rancidity,” adds Heidolph. “Acidulants and sequestrants act as synergist with most antioxidants by interacting with metal ions such as copper and iron, preventing them from inhibiting the antioxidant function. Additionally acids and acid salts supply the desired reducing environment of hydrogen ions that will aid in regeneration of antioxidants during the storage life of a food or beverage.” The aromas and ﬂ avors of many of natural processes can be captured through distillation, extraction and other methods and be concentrated for use in other formulations. For example, Mastertaste’s Zesti-Smoke line captures the ﬂ avor, aroma and even appearance of a traditional meat-smoking process by condensing natural wood smoke vapor with water,” says Mastertaste’s Manheimer. “Natural isolates, essential oils and oleoresins can help contribute to the consumer’s experience.” This can be used in sauce and marinade applications to give the consumer the same experience they might have with a product that had been traditionally smoked. “Aroma and ﬂavor go hand in hand, just as you would see in any natural food process,” says Manheimer. “Smoking meats will give the end product a speciﬁc aroma and ﬂavor. Another example is the concentration of aromas from juices like citrus and apple, which possess a different distinct aroma and ﬂavor.” Effective use of natural aromas is more than a mere mixing of chemicals because the intricate association between taste and aroma goes beyond simple chemical detection. We’re accustomed to certain tastes and odors accompanying one another and can be put off by what are perceived as incongruent mixes. Aroma and taste are inseparable qualities of food; altering one inﬂuences the other. This inﬂuence requires the most stringent of testing techniques that utilize the most sophisticated of instruments - the human instrument, the one owned by each consumer. PHOTO: ICL PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS INC. WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://www.astaris.com http://www.astaris.com http://WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Processing - November 2007

Food Processing - November 2007 Contents Editor's Page NewsBites Regulatory Rollout Food Biz Kids Our Favorite Products of 2007 Ingredients Product Development Plant Operations Packaging New Product Profiles Toops Scoops

Food Processing - November 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.