To make it simple, flavours are edible, while fragrances are not.
Yes. Viet Huong JSC has invested and built a factory in Long Hau Industrial Park, Long An Province manufacturing liquid and powdered flavours and seasoning powder for food and pharmaceutical industries with the technology from France. Our Company is implementing the Food Safety Management System FSSC 22000 recognized by Bureau Veritas Certification.
Ideally it is 6 months from the manufacturing date. Even after the expiration date, the flavours are not spoiled but just lose its aroma, or its aroma becomes weaker. In that case, you can send a sample to the manufacturer for quality test to determine whether that flavour is still acceptable. The manufacturer will reply you in writing for the confirmation.
Yes. Heat resistant flavours are suitable for different products as follows:
– Flavours for biscuits and crackers: 210 – 300oC
– Flavours for fresh breads and cakes: 190 – 200oC
– Flavours for confectionary: 180 – 200oC
– Flavours for dairy products:
+ for pasteurized milk: 70 – 80oC
+ for UHT milk: 100 – 140oC
– Flavours for coffee products:
+ for instant coffee: 100 – 120oC
+ for roasted coffee beans: 60 – 70oC
Same period of time as those finished products.
Storage temperature and humidity recommended by the manufacturers are clearly shown on each product’s technical specification. Normally flavours should be kept in cool places, avoiding sunshine, and the temperature should be from 16 to 22 degree Celsius.
Liquid, powdered, emulsion, paste, seasoning, extract, and concentrate.
– Mono propylene glycol
– Ethyl alcohol
– Mono propylene glycol and Glycerin.
There is no “universal answer” to this question, each flavor formulation being different from one to another one. To develop a flavor, we systematically start by a key base formulation. All the aromatic substances (i.e. synthetic and/or molecules) and flavouring preparations (i.e. aromatic extracts) used in our industry are potentially water and/or oil soluble compatible but again there is no rule.
A key base cannot be therefore systematically transformed in a water soluble flavor just by diluting it with a water soluble solvent or in an oil soluble one just by diluting it with an oil soluble solvent.
Secondly, the final application for which a flavor is developed automatically leads us to formulate in a certain way: our substances choice will be different when developing a flavor to be used in a seasoning and another one in a UHT milk.
Last but not least, our perception in terms of smell and taste is automatically different with for example a strawberry key base mixed on MPG and the same strawberry key base mixed on vegetal oil.
So, no, a water soluble flavor cannot be systematically modified in an oil soluble version without any change in terms of aromatic profile, strength and price.
First, synthetic flavours are safe for human consumption, this is a key-point. In case we would not consume any transformed food goods, we could even avoid the presence of flavours: eating for example only unflavoured yoghurts and pho soups (only using vegetables and spices), drinking only mineral water and so on.
The industrial processes allowing us to get all along the year food products available for the overall humanity consumption, showing longer and longer shelf lives, being heat stable, lead us to consume more and more flavours.
Natural flavours will never be in the position to replace synthetic ones due to their higher prices levels, their possible aromatic profiles changes according to the quality fluctuations of each crop, their weak available quantities to satisfy the world population. It’s clear however that more and more improvements are made to get natural flavouring substances through enzymatic reactions (by biotechnology) to reduce their prices levels and increase the quantities necessary to reply to the world demand.
There is not “magic” compounds. That is the reason why it’s necessary to inform us of the application and if there is a specific step in processing (themisation…). The job of our team is to adapt the key base in the flavour itself according to final application and processing. We also choose the best meaning to release flavour during the preparation and/or consumption of finished product. So, it’s sometimes necessary to encapsulate flavours. Encapsulation techniques can improve shelf lives, the presence of anti-oxidants can delay oxidation phenomena, the presence of preservatives and citric acid can guaranty the stability and then the shelf lives of emulsions. But no miracle with chemicals as you mentioned.
Depends of additional flavours – if the flavour is natural according to European Regulation, the product keeps its naturalness.
We know in Europe the definition of an organic finished product but not a natural one.
From a personal point of view, we could imagine at most than a finished product promoted from a marketing point of view as “natural” should be one including only natural ingredients, i.e. besides for example water, milk, flour, sugar and so on, natural colour, natural flavour, natural preservative, natural anti-oxidant and so on…
There are again no “global answer”, each flavour formulation being different from one to another one, each industrial process being different as well : different types of temperature/time parameters for pasteurization, UHT processes, different types of ovens for cooking, different types of bread, cake, cookies, biscuits recipes,…. Globally speaking we consider that a flavour is heat stable when resisting at least at 200° during 30mn to 60mn. But again, it depends on the finished product recipe.
The best possibility to add flavours is at the end of processing if it’s technically and microbiologically possible, the idea being to not provoke any loss or alteration of molecules.
Natural flavour is a flavour containing only natural flavouring agents (natural flavouring substance and/or flavouring preparation) according to European regulation 1334/2008
First, a key base is automatically liquid, excepted eventually for the vanilla formulations, some of their major components being in powder from (vanillin, ethyl vanillin, maltol, ethyl maltol,….). So, excepted again vanilla flavours, the most concentrated flavours will be automatically liquid. When to use then flavours in powder form ? Only when the finished product itself is in powder form: instant powder drinks/jellies/cakes, seasonings in powder, pharmaceutical tablets, nutritional complements in powder,…. Please refer to our attached Flavours application memo regarding this point.
In Europe, according to European regulation 1334/2008, natural flavours can have 3 status (natural X flavor, Natural X flavor with other natural flavours and natural flavor). A certified organic flavor is natural X flavor in compliance with the European regulation EA No. 848/2018 and meeting specific formulation requirements. Organic flavours have to be certified by an external organization such as Ecocert.
An organic product should comply with the organic agriculture, excluding the use of synthetic chemical products and GMO, limiting the use of fertilizers and insecticides. Regarding more specifically organic flavours, European legislation will be stricter and stricter from 01.01.21. Please carefully read on this occasion on the attached document point B (Natural flavor “X”) and point E (Natural flavours and new regulation 848/2018 related to the organic foodstuff).
An over dosage may affect the taste of the product, an expired flavours too. It’s also imperative to choose a good solvent and/or carrier to have a good dispersion or miscibility of flavor in finished product.
Depends on flavour ingredients and application. flavours dosages are recommended per application by flavours manufacturers. Their dosages can be limited depending on the solvent presence in their formulations when used in beverages (for example MPG cannot exceed 1g/kg) or other food products (for example MPG cannot exceed 3g/kg). Their dosages can be limited as well due to the presence of limited aromatic substances : for example thujone, found in wormwood or artemisia essential oil, is strictly limited to 0.5mg/kg in food prepared with Artemisia species.
The flavour is generally stable during twelve months for liquid flavours and two years for encapsulated flavours (check the shelf life in the technical data sheet). For liquid flavours, the fresh notes decrease between 12 and 18 months but our flavours are always microbiologically stable in sealed containers.
It depends of the flavour. For oil sobluble flavours, you may have acid note because of oxidation of triglycerides. Flavour with lot of furaneol can have a burned note with oxidation of this molecules during the time. Roasted notes of coffee flavor can decrease because of oxidation of furfuryl mercaptan. Fruits flavours with high level of lactones change during the time, a “cardboard” note may appear. We could also speak about oxidation of terpens….
Our flavour are stable from microbiological point of view if they are stored in a dark-cool and ventilated area and in sealed drum.
If the drum is abnormally inflated (due to bacteria/moulds/yeast growth)
Globally speaking, as far as the taste itself is concerned, we do recommend to compare an incriminated lot with on one hand the last lot received before that one and on the other hand a freshly weighed formulation. Loss of strength, appearance of off-notes (such as oxidized ones or any unpleasant ones) could lead you to consider that the profile of your flavor significantly changed for some reasons. As far its bacteriological stability is concerned, an inflated drum could be as a matter of fact a critical sign.
Check the technical data sheet.
Of course not, provided people do not ingest flavours as they are, respecting the recommended dosages given by the flavours manufacturer in the corresponding finished products. Regarding specifically staff working in the flavours industry, strict rules have to be respected, the high concentration of the substances used being a critical point. Staff should wear glasses, gloves, lab coats, mobcaps, overshoes or even security shoes, masks (from simple ones to cartridge masks). Some substances have to be weighed under fume cupboard depending on their possible toxicity.
Sure, because if there is too much flavours, off-notes of solvents astringency of chemical molecules, natural substances and natural preparations may affect the balance of organoleptic perception of finished products during consumption. You also have sometimes reactions between compounds of flavor and ingredients of finished products.
It’s impossible to answer to this question. Each case is specific. The change of color may come from of the reaction between the flavours and ingredients in finished products. The pH of finished product may have an influence too. The color of the flavor may also change itself during the shelf-life.