Food Flavorings

Artificial flavors are synthetically produced compounds used to impart specific flavors to processed food. The creation of synthetic flavors is a vast and complicated process and could even be considered an art. Food manufacturers turn to chemists who are flavor specialists to formulate the perfect artificial flavor for their products. There are thousands of existing synthetic flavor compounds and most artificial flavors are a combination of several, sometimes including natural extracts. Our perception of a flavor actually comes mostly from our sense of smell. There are many chemical compounds, which give off smells almost identical to familiar fruits, nuts, and other foods. These aroma molecules are chemically synthesized and used as components of artificial flavors. Also used are flavor molecules that enhance savory flavors, which are already present. These are generally comprised of amino acids.

Another common thing we do in our daily lives is cooking, and when we talk about cooking we talk about the ingredients and cooking materials and so on. As far as ingredients are concerned, we have a really huge variety to choose from, but we’ll be focusing on some organic compounds that we can’t do without – food flavorings. People all over the world use food flavorings when they cook because it gives food a much better taste, matter of fact it is almost necessary for people to use it while cooking because it brings out the taste of food.

Vanilla flavoring

Flavorings are used in a wide range of food products. Most flavourings are an imitation of the flavour of a known foodstuff. Some flavors are isolated from natural raw ingredients but this is costly and also wastes valuable natural resources. Flavorings used as additives are often developed by a Creative Flavorist . Their job is t o identify the substances present in the food that are the most important in producing its flavor and then to create a flavor profile which mimics the particular food in the most effective way. Food flavorings are also used in drugs and medicines sometimes, such as a cough syrup for children, to make it less bitter and easier to consume.

Origin

Artificial flavors are chemically produced and may contain processed natural extracts, animal products, such as glycerine, and alcohol may also be present. Artificial flavors are made by fractional distillation and various chemical processes of naturally found chemicals, tar and crude oil. Artificial flavors are usually made up of chemicals called esters, which are organic compounds formed by reacting carboxylic acids with alcohols. For exmaple, an ester called isoamyl acetate has the flavor and scent of a banana and that can be used in cakes and other kinds of desserts. Other examples would be benzyl butyrate which has a cherry taste and ethyl phenylacetate which tastes like honey.

Other uses and industries

These esters are not only used in consumable products. Due to their fragrant scent and taste, they are also used in commercial products such as cosmetics, shampoos, creams and various lip and health care products.

Scented food spray

Scented air freshners

Health Effects

Due to the presence of many different chemicals that go into the making of these flavors and additives, there are bound to be some health side effects. Artificial flavors have no nutritional value. Over consumption can cause obesity, high blood sugar and cholesterol.

Posted in Food Flavoring

Vinegar as preservatives

Jul 22

Posted by Tan Zhi Hearn [1001335551]

Vinegar is a type of carboxylic acid which contain a carboxyl group. Vinegar is also called acetic acid or ethanoic acid which is CH3COOH. Vinegar is normally used as a preservatives on certain foods including chopped garlic, garlic cloves, sun dried tomatoes, chili, ginger, eggplant, capsicum, mushrooms and various mixtures of the above foods and similar food.

Vinegar is a type of acid which enable food that is soaked in it, the food’s water content will flow according to the water potential. When water potential is very low outside of the food, the water content in the food will flow outside of the food. In this way, microorganisms will not consume or stay inside the food as there is no water in the food.

This type of preservative will make lengthen the food storage period. The downside of this method will be- the flavor and smell of the food will be damaged. They will no longer taste like the original food while they taste like vinegar due to long period soaked in vinegar.

Vinegar can be obtained either by small amount in our house or it can be manufactured in large amount in factories. In these days, all the products made by factories are being ‘chemicalrise’ which means all those consumed products are being added preservatives, food flavoring, food coloring and lots of other chemicals to make the food looks interesting and last longer. People nowadays tends to make their own food including vinegar to consume vinegar in a safe manner and to reduce the risk of getting cancer. Vinegar can be easily being produce by ourselves! Isn’t it a very surprising news? Vinegar can be produced by 6 steps easily.

1st step-Get some acetic acid bacteria which converts ethanol to acetic acid. After that get some alcohol.

2nd step- Pick a right container. Before inserting these ingredients into the container, sterilize it.

3rd step- Pour the acetic acid bacteria into the container carefully. Oxygen is needed to convert alcohol to acetic acid, so ensure as much liquid surface area as possible. Fill the container up to its widest point.

4th step-Add the alcohol into the container.

5th step-Tighten the opening of the container by using a piece of cheesecloth( Clothes that have big holes) to allow oxygen to enter.

5th step- Wait. This step consumes the longest time. It takes about 3-4 weeks. Store this mixture in a dark cupboard and a temperature range of normal room temperature between 15- 27 degree Celsius.

6th step- Stain out the vinegar by using the cheesecloth. Separating the mother, which can be used to make more vinegar.

Follow these few steps to obtain self made vinegar.The secret of good vinegar production is to control this natural fermentation. The vinegar “mother” or bacterial culture that is used is passed along from one batch to the next, often for generations, similar I suppose to a sour dough culture or yogurt. By proper growth controls and aging, the raw, sharp bite of acetic acid can mature into a rich, sweetly-tart and invaluable cooking staple. A world without vinegar would be a far, far blander place. No ketchup, mustard, dill pickles or any number of other sauces, chutneys, and dressings.

Nowhere is the production of vinegar more controlled than in the Region of Modena, Italy, where traditional balsamic vinegar is produced. The sugary Trebbiano grape undergoes an initial yeast fermentation to produce alcohol, and then the vinegar mother is added. This vinegar is aged to perfection for a minimum of 12 years in casks of varying woods such as juniper, ash, cherry, and oak. These casks are often ancient and the flavouring they impart to the vinegar builds the complex aroma that good balsamic is famous for. The casks must be stored in spaces where the effect of seasonal weather changes causes the bacterial culture to “sleep” in the winter months and be active in summer. With each year, the vinegar becomes more concentrated, more syrupy and richer in colour and flavour, until the perfumy elixir is finally fit to emerge.

Benifits of Vinegar

n a 2008 study published in the “Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences,” rats that had apple cider vinegar included in their food for four weeks had lower “bad” cholesterol levels than rats that didn’t have any vinegar. Rats that had vinegar were also more likely to have higher levels of the “good” cholesterol that helps clear excess cholesterol from the body. This is a significant finding because having lower unhealthy numbers reduces heart disease risk. Diabetic rats also developed lower triglyceride levels when they consumed apple cider vinegar, which is beneficial because high triglycerides are another risk factor for heart disease. Still, the study was limited to rodents and similar research would need to include human participants to confirm its benefits.

According to a “Diabetes Care” study published in 2004, participants who drank an apple cider vinegar concoction with a buttered white bagel and orange juice had lower insulin and blood sugar responses than when they had the meal with a placebo. Pre-diabetic patients were most positively affected by drinking the vinegar. Researchers concluded that having apple cider vinegar may help reduce diabetes symptoms in diabetics and reduce pre-diabetics’ risk of developing diabetes in the future.

According to a 2005 issue of the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” drinking vinegar with a meal may increase your feelings of fullness. Study volunteers were split into a group that ate about three slices of white bread by itself and groups that ate the same amount of bread with varying doses of white vinegar. Participants who drank the most vinegar were more likely to have a suppressed appetite 30 minutes, 90 minutes and 120 minutes after they ate. This showed researchers that drinking vinegar may help cut down the amount of calories you eat, thus aiding in weight loss. Although vinegar supplements are popularly used for weight loss, research on vinegar and weight loss is still in its infancy. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains is still considered the best way to lose weight, according to MayoClinic.com.

Drinking a small amount vinegar isn’t likely to harm you, but it is highly acidic and may cause problems such as tooth enamel erosion and throat irritation, warns MayoClinic.com. It may also interact poorly with certain medications and supplements. For instance, if you drink vinegar regularly and you take a diuretic or insulin, you may experience dangerously low potassium levels.

OTHER USES OF VINEGAR

Vinegar can be used as cleaning reagent other than preservatives.Because it is acidic, it can dissolve mineral deposits.Vinegar can be used for polishing brass or bronze. Vinegar is widely known as an effective cleaner of stainless steel and glass.

Posted in Vinegar

Perfumes and Toiletries

Jul 20

Posted by Nafay

The history of perfume is as old as the human being exists, as speaking about paradise; you imagine a luxuri ant garden, full of scenting flowers. But nobody knows exactly when the perfume culture originated. The Egyptians were the first who used perfume for personal enjoyment, but the production of perfume was reserved for the priests. Now it is used by thousands of Consumers . This posts explains how the perfumes are made and what ingredients are involved in it. Most perfumes are composed of a three-part structure. The “head,” “heart” and “base”.

A perfume consists of 78 to 95 percent ethyl alcohol and Essential oils comprise the remaining 10-15% ingredients. The staying power of a scent compound in a perfume depends on its rate of evaporation. Perfumes also have different classes of fragrance such as “floral,” “woody” or “citrus” notes. Now a days more and more perfumes are being made compared to past, Modern perfumes contain many synthetic compounds that are changed them unique characteristics than other perfumes such as increased odor. Synthetic materials are cheaper to use than natural ones.

Summary of the properties of perfume

property	why the property is important
non-toxic	does not poison the wearer
does not irritate the skin	prevents the wearer from suffering rashes
evaporates easily – very volatile	perfume molecules reach the nose easily
insoluble in water	it is not washed off easily
does not react with water	avoids the perfume reacting with perspiration

Natural Perfume Ingredients

Traditionally, the discovery and the development of new synthetic
chemicals were based on the analysis of natural sources like plants ( such as lavender and jasmine), fruits (for example, lemon and orange) and animals (including musk from the musk deer and ambergris from the sperm whale ). Currently animal ingredients are not used due to ethical reasons. Other resources like alcohol, petrochemicals, coal, and coal tars are also used in the manufacture of perfumes. Some plants, such as lily of the valley, do not produce oils naturally. In fact, only about 2,000 of the 250,000 known flowering plant species contain these essential oils. Therefore, synthetic chemicals must be used to re-create the smells of non-oily substances. Synthetics also create original scents not found in nature.

Aroma chemicals are isolated fragrance molecules that are either synthetically produced or refined from plant sources. For example, the compound vanillin is what gives vanilla its characteristic odour and flavour. Artificial vanilla flavour is usually pure synthetic vanillin. Natural vanilla has many more compounds than just vanillin, which is why it tastes better!

How Do We Smell Perfume?

The part of perfume that gives it a specific smell is called its “juice.” Juice is a mixture of different oils, each with a specific scent. You smell these scents because they evaporate, which means to change from a liquid to a gas. These scented gas molecules move through the air and you smell them when they enter your nose. The more scent molecules that enters your nose, the stronger is the smell.

Process for Making Perfumes

Each perfumery has a preferred perfume manufacturing process, but there are some basic steps.

Collection of raw materials is the first step in the perfume making process. Fragrance can be obtained from flowers, grasses, mosses, leaves, tree barks and fruit peels. Once raw materials are collected, the fragrance is extracted by distillation, absorption or extraction using solvents.

In the distillation method, raw materials are steamed. As the steam rises, the scent is carried into a glass tube where the mixture condenses as it cools. The mixture is then put into flask where the essential oil naturally rises to the top and is skimmed off for use in the perfume.

Absorption is used for raw materials that can’t with stand the heat of the distillation process. They are steeped in heated fats or oils, then filtered through fabric to obtain the scented solid. The solid is then washed in alcohol. When the fat is removed, the perfumed alcohol remains.

Extraction: fragrance also is drawn when plant matter and volatile solvents are combined in a rotating tank. The solvent extracts the essential oils and dissolves the plant matter. Once the oil has evaporated, a perfume paste remains.

Aromas: musk and castor are animal secretions frequently used in perfume making. Synthetically produced aromas also are used.

Once the perfume oil is extracted, the blendingprocess commences. The man responsible of that task, known as “a nose,” uses an extensive knowledge of fragrance characteristic to blend anywhere from 20 to 800 raw materials to compose a scent. Once the scent is developed and tested, batches are robotically mixed.

The pure perfume oil is then diluted with alcohol and water. If a full perfume is desired, 10 to 20 percent of the oil is dissolved in alcohol with a minute amount of water. Cologne is 3 to 5 percent oil, 80 to 90 percent alcohol and 10 percent water. An eau de toilette is 2 percent oil, 60 to 80 percent alcohol and 20 percent water. Then the perfume is ready to be aged, filtered and bottled.

Putting the Theory to Use

If want to create your own fragrance, essential and synthetic oils can be obtained from perfume making suppliers. Experiment by combining oils, then smell and test the combinations on your skin. Once the desired aroma is achieved, mix the oils with the appropriate ratios of alcohol and water. Purchase perfume alcohol from perfume materials suppliers. Or clear drinking alcohol that has no smell, such as vodka, can be substituted. Once poured into a bottle, the fragrance is ready to be enjoyed.