Food Marketing & Technology - India June 2019 | Page 26

Ingredient
NATURAL FLAVOURS IN ICE
CREAMS AND FROZEN DESSERT
BY: VEENA N *
N
atural flavours are those
that derive their aroma or
flavour chemicals from plant
or animal sources. The US Code of
Federal Regulations defines “natural
flavour” or “natural flavourings” as
the essential oil, oleoresin, essence
or extractive, protein hydrolysate,
distillate, or any product of roasting,
heating or enzymolysis that contains
the flavouring constituents derived
from a spice, fruit or fruit juice,
vegetable or vegetable juice, edible
yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or
similar material, meat, seafood, eggs,
dairy products, or fermentation
products thereof, whose significant
function in food is flavouring rather
than nutritional. Whereas, the UK
Food Law defines a “natural flavour”
as a flavouring substance obtained, by
physical, enzymatic or microbiological
processes, from natural material such
as: vegetable or animal origin where
the material is either raw or has
been subjected to a process normally
used in preparing food for human
consumption and to no process other
than one normally so used.
artificial flavouring materials. The
current demand for natural products
is higher than ever, with customers
looking for flavours that more closely
mimic those that they might find in
nature. Flavours are often added to
the base mix before freezing prior to
the addition of particulates (fruit, nuts,
In order to prepare natural flavours
with the desired smell, the flavourants
are extracted from the source substance
using various extraction methods
like solvent extraction, distillation,
or simply using force to squeeze it
out. These extracts are then further
purified and added to food products
in order to give them a particular
flavour. Premium and super-premium
ice cream products contain only
pure extracts and natural flavours to
complement relatively high levels of
dairy solids and the very high qualities
of all of the ingredients whereas
economy brands of ice cream contain
Food Marketing & Technology
26
June 2019
candy pieces, ripple sauces) to the ice
cream and level of addition typically in
the range of 1-3 ml/kg.
Natural Flavour Ingredients
The important natural flavouring
substances for ice cream and frozen
desserts include: vanilla; chocolate