Editing Flavoring (section)

==Flavor creation==
{{also|food science|food technology}}
Most artificial flavors are specific and often complex mixtures of singular naturally occurring flavor compounds combined to either imitate or enhance a natural flavor. These mixtures are formulated by flavorists to give a food product a unique flavor and to maintain flavor consistency between different product batches or after recipe changes. The list of known flavoring agents includes thousands of molecular compounds, and flavor chemists ([[flavorist]]s) can often mix these together to produce many of the common flavors. Many flavorings consist of [[ester]]s, which are often described as being sweet or fruity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/question391.htm|title=How do artificial flavors work?|website=How Stuff Works|access-date=3 June 2015|date=31 May 2000|archive-date=30 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030122421/http://science.howstuffworks.com/question391.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The compounds used to produce artificial flavors are almost identical to those that occur naturally. It has been suggested that artificial flavors may be safer to consume than natural flavors due to the standards of purity and mixture consistency that are enforced either by the company or by law.<ref name="Smitha">{{cite journal | title = A procedure for the safety evaluation of natural flavor complexes used as ingredients in food: essential oils |author=R.L. Smitha |author2=S.M. Cohenb |author3=J. Doullc |author4=V.J. Ferond |author5=J.I. Goodmane |author6=L.J. Marnettf |author7=P.S. Portogheseg |author8=W.J. Waddellh |author9=B.M.Wagneri |author10=R.L. Hallj |author11=N.A. Higleyk |author12=C. Lucas-Gavinl |author13=T.B. Adamsm | journal = [[Food and Chemical Toxicology]] | volume = 43 | issue = 3 | year = 2005| pages =345–363 | doi = 10.1016/j.fct.2004.11.007 | pmid = 15680674}}</ref> Natural flavors, in contrast, may contain impurities from their sources, while artificial flavors are typically more pure and are required to undergo more testing before being sold for consumption.<ref name="Smitha"/>

[[food industry|Food]] and [[beverage industry|beverage]] companies may require flavors for new products, product line extensions (e.g., low fat versions of existing products), or changes in formula or processing for existing products. In 2011, about US$10.6 billion were generated with the sale of flavors; the majority of the flavors used are consumed in [[ultra-processed food]] and [[convenience food]].<ref>Ceresana, market study Flavors, December 2012, http://www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/chemicals/flavors/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729111954/http://www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/chemicals/flavors/ |date=29 July 2013 }}</ref>

The number of food smells is unbounded; a food's flavor, therefore, can be easily altered by changing its smell while keeping its taste similar. This is exemplified in artificially flavored [[gelatin dessert|jellies]], [[soft drink]]s and candies, which, while made of bases with a similar taste, have dramatically different flavors due to the use of different scents or fragrances.

Most flavors represent a mixture of [[aroma compound]]s, the raw material that is produced by flavor companies. In rare cases, a single synthetic compound is used in pure form. Artificial [[vanilla flavor]]s [[vanillin]] and [[ethylvanillin]] are a notable exception, as well as the artificial [[strawberry]] flavor ([[ethyl methylphenylglycidate]]). The ubiquitous "green apple" aroma is based on [[hexyl acetate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1003201.html|title=hexyl acetate, 142-92-7|first=William|last=Luebke|date=31 December 2017|website=www.thegoodscentscompany.com|access-date=3 February 2018|archive-date=3 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203064606/http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1003201.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

<!--list is alphabetical by flavor emulated-->
{| class=wikitable
|+{{vanchor|Table of some fruity flavorings}}
|-
!Chemical
!Odor
|-
|[[Manzanate]]
|[[Apple]]
|-
|[[Diacetyl]], [[acetylpropionyl]], [[acetoin]]
|[[Butter]]y
|-
|[[Isoamyl acetate]]
|[[Banana]]
|-
|[[Benzaldehyde]]
|[[Bitter almond]], [[cherry]]
|-
|[[Cinnamaldehyde]]
|[[Cinnamon]]
|-
|[[Ethyl propionate]]
|[[Fruit]]y
|-
|[[Methyl anthranilate]]
|[[Grape]]
|-
|[[Limonene]]
|[[Orange (fruit)|Orange]]
|-
|[[γ-Decalactone]]
|[[Peach]]
|-
|[[Ethyl decadienoate]]
|[[Pear]]
|-
|[[Allyl hexanoate]]
|[[Pineapple]]
|-
|[[Ethyl maltol]]
|Caramelized [[sugar]], [[cotton candy]]
|-
|[[2,4-Dithiapentane]]
|[[Truffle]]
|-
|[[Ethylvanillin]]
|[[Vanilla]]
|-
|[[Methyl salicylate]]
|[[Wintergreen]]
|-
|[[ethyl methylphenylglycidate]]
|[[strawberry]]
|}

Some flavors are relatively multifaceted. For example, the basic aroma of cooked meat is formed by a combination of [[Maillard reaction]], [[lipid peroxidation]], and degradation of sulfur-containing compounds such as [[thiamine]] and cysteine.<ref name=Li>{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Xuejie |last2=Li |first2=Jian |title=The Flavor of Plant-Based Meat Analogues |journal=Cereal Foods World |date=2020 |volume=65 |issue=4 |doi=10.1094/CFW-65-4-0040|s2cid=231203281 }}</ref> With this understanding, an artificial chicken flavor can be made from ingredients as simple as glucose, salt, cysteine, and [[arachidonic acid]]: when heated in a water solution they undergo these three reactions to produce the desired flavor. (Such a flavor produced during the preparation process from precursor compounds is called a "process flavor"). Small tweaks to the mixture can instead produce a beef flavor. This kind of basic meat flavoring has been known since the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perret |first1=Marcel Andre |title=Chicken flavor and process for preparing the same |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3689289A/en |date=5 September 1972}}</ref> Of course, these four chemicals only mimic a small number of possible reactions out of the many reactions possible among the complex flavor precursor chemicals found in meat. For a more realistically complex aroma, natural feedstocks such as [[yeast extract]], [[hydrolyzed vegetable protein]], and spices can be used to expand the number of possible reactions. They also contribute peptides, free amino acids, and nucleic acid metabolites that all play a role in the natural taste of meat.<ref name=Li/><ref name=vegmeat>{{cite journal |last1=Kale |first1=Prajyoti |last2=Mishra |first2=Anusha |last3=Annapure |first3=Uday S. |title=Development of vegan meat flavour: A review on sources and techniques |journal=Future Foods |date=June 2022 |volume=5 |pages=100149 |doi=10.1016/j.fufo.2022.100149|s2cid=248838839 |doi-access=free }}</ref>