Natural food flavours: a healthier alternative for bakery industry—a review

Abstract

Human beings always remained attracted towards vivid food flavours and aroma. Ever since the food industry came into existence, several brands and industries worldwide have been busy creating storms in the food markets through flavours, aromas, textures and substances to intrigue the consumers’ minds. The ingredients that go into the preparation of these food items include a list of various preservatives, taste enhancers, stabilizers, colours and to make it look attractive and delicious but may not be healthy. Most of the flavours that are used by food brands are often chemical based and are synthesized completely in the laboratory. The use of artificial/synthetic flavourings in the form of chemical food additives and taste enhancers lead to long term health issues which include potential risks of neurological problems, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, different types of hypersensitivities and even cancers. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, USA) conduct frequent studies to limit the use of artificial flavouring and additives which are totally chemical based and mimic natural food flavours and extract. Benzaldehyde—an organic chemical closely resembles the flavour of roasted almonds and ethyl vanillin which is 3 times potent than natural vanilla extract used is various confectionery items. Also several ester derivatives are used for mimicking natural fruit flavours like strawberry, guava and cherry. These chemicals pose a considerable threat to human health, knowingly or unknowingly. Antagonistically, natural food flavours, though not as popular as artificial ones prove to be healthier and carry the same aroma and taste as artificial flavouring agents. This review paper sheds light on the pervasiveness of natural and artificial food flavouring agents in the market, their benefits and drawbacks and how they have been in a constant race for dominating the bakery industry.

Introduction

Flavors are the sensory impressions one experiences while consuming either foods or beverages. The impressions are mainly formed by the chemical sensations of taste and smell. Along with the taste and smell, the texture when taken into consideration a food product can be well experienced. Food flavours are agents which are used for enhancing the flavour and aroma of food products. Flavouring agents, natural or artificial are derived from numerous sources which range from a variety of plant parts to organic chemicals in the laboratory. In the early 1800s, German and Swiss companies were the first to expand the market of flavours with their wide variety of bakery and other gourmet cuisines. These flavouring substances were mostly naturally derived compounds from plant parts. They soon started deriving flavours from organic and inorganic chemicals in the laboratories as well as to meet the growing demands of the food industries. At the beginning of the twentieth century, many food and beverage companies started coming up with a list of different flavours which cooked up a storm in the markets-both in local as well as in global and today the flavouring industry has become the 3rd most profitable industry in the food sector after spices and dairy products. Baking which technically refers to the process of cooking food using dry heat in some kind of oven has adopted food flavours to their utmost requirements. No matter what kind of confectionery product we consume, we can find an entire plethora of flavours and ingredients at the back of the packaging. Breads, cakes, pastries, pies, puddings, cookies, biscuits and even donuts—the list remains endless.Confectionery items have been a favourite of consumers throughout the world. Flavour manufacturing companies are coming with brand new cognitive content every day to deliver the best among customers through their goods. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, flavours may be of the following types based upon their origin:

Natural food flavours

The FDA has broadly defined the natural flavours as the ones isolated from any natural sources like plant material (fruits, roots, bark, herbs, etc.) or animal products (meat, dairy, etc.). As such, many nature-identical artificial flavors are actually available in higher purity than their natural congeners and may be obtained with less damage to the environment. The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring components. Thomas et al. (2023) evaluated twenty-three natural flavor complexes NFCs, derived from the Hibiscus, Melissa, Ricinus, Anthemis, Matricaria, Cymbopogon, Saussurea, Spartium, Pelargonium, Levisticum, Rosa, Santalum, Viola, Cryptocarya and Litsea genera and affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) under their conditions of intended use as flavor ingredients.

Artificial flavours

The term artificial flavour or artificial flavouring means any substance, the function of which is to impart flavour, which is not derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof. Substances include benzaldehyde and 2, 5-Lutidine (Table 1). The flavours arenot defined as natural, even if they have the exact same chemical composition as flavors isolated directly from nature. This distinction between the origins of flavors has no bearing on how safe, healthy, or delicious they are. In fact, these are produced in a controlled laboratory setting to undergo rigorous quality control at every stage and do not require a lengthy, labour- and resource-intensive extraction process. The review will give an insight on the banned artificial flavours and itstoxicity on consumption. The need of the natural flavourants, its extraction methodology and application in bakery industry is highlighted.

Table 1.

Artificial flavouring agents, their applications in the bakery industry and type of flavours they induce

Artificial flavour	Confectionery product	Flavour induced	Refs.
Diacetyl	Butter creams, icing, croissants	Intensely buttery and warm flavour	Delonzio and Carlos (2017)
Ethyl decadienoate	Jams fillings and pastries	Apple, pear and grape-like	Briggazi and Clark (2018)
Ethyl maltol	Cake icing, flavoured buns and biscuits	Caramelized sugar, cooked fruit, cotton candy	Huxley and Wilmar (2017)
Ethyl propionate	Jam fillings, butter cream, pastries and mousse, fruit flavoured candies and chocolates	Fruity; more like pineapple and strawberry	Wilkins (2012)
Ethyl vanillin	Cakes, ice creams, cookies, truffles, biscuits, buns, croissant and chocolates	Strong vanilla or chocolate-like	McSherman (2018)
Synthetic menthol	Mint chocolates and candies, cake frosting and butter creams	Minty; cooling, spicy and refreshing	Tuffan (2017)
Isoamyl acetate	Banana cakes and pastries, mousse and cookies	Strong banana-like or pear-like	Anderson et al. (2017)
2,6-Lutidine	Cakes, biscuits, coffee mousse, buns and breads	Nutty; more like coffee	Vishwanath (2013)
Synthetic limonene	Marmalades, candies, lemon tarts, pastries and cake frosting	Citrus fruits-orange, lemon and sweet lime	Tuffan (2017)

Artificial flavours banned by the FDA

After numerous research and studies, the environment and health advocacy groups appealed to the FDA to ban 7 most commonly used artificial flavours in the food items that have been known to cause cancer in lab animals (Britt 2018). The FDA thus, decided to ban those chemicals and they were removed from the list of “approved additives”. The 7 chemicals that were removed were:

• i.Benzophenone: It is an aromatic carbonyl compound; completely synthetic in origin. It was used for flavouring frosting and icing creams because it also thickens them. Benzophenone is a potential cancer causing agent (Aubrey 2018).
• ii.Ethyl Acrylate: It is an ethyl ester of acrylic acid; completely synthetic in origin, has a strong acrid odour. It was used for mimicking the aroma of pineapples and kiwis. It was tested for allergies and hypersensitivities (Kredler 2018).
• iii.Methyl Eugenol: It is a type of phenylpropene; chemically synthesized; found in many essential oils. It was used for dusting breads and buns. It was banned because it induced cancer in lab animals (Siegner 2014).
• iv.Myrcene: It is a type of monoterpene which strongly mimics the odour of lemongrass, cloves and mangoes. It was banned because it caused allergic reactions in some lab animals (Aubrey 2018).
• v.Pulegone: It is an organic compound having a pleasant aroma that closely reminisces of peppermint, spearmint and orange mint. It was used in mint chocolates, candies and mint essences for cakes. It was banned because it had potential of causing neurological damage (Wilkins 2012).
• vi.Pyridine: It is an organic compound structurally similar to benzene; has a sour pungent odour which resembles the citrus fragrance of oranges, lemons and sweet limes. It was banned because of its potential ability to cause brain damage and anxiety in lab animals (Wilkins 2012).
• vii.Styrene: It is also called vinyl benzene; completely synthetic in origin. It was used in bakery products and in beer as well to induce a burnt flavour. Although, styrene is added to the list of FDA’s banned flavours, it is still used in the industries on a large scale (Bright and Page 2014).

Adverse effects of aritificial/synthetic food flavours

Artificial sweet flavorings have complex makeup consisting of several classes of chemical compounds that are unspecified or not permitted by regulatory bodies and industries responsible for their production as for the amount of chemical formulation which can cause adverse effects and some of the examples are listed below:

• i.Cytotoxic and genotoxic potential

  The cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of artificial liquid food flavorings for chocolate, strawberry and condensed milk was evaluated by using the meristematic root tips of Allium cepa (onion) by exposing the root cells for 24–48 h with varying doses of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mL and in combination. The results showed significant reduction in the mitotic index of A.cepa root tip cells when compared with the cell division rated of the cells in their respective controls. The exposure to these synthetic flavourings also statistically reduced the cell division rates when compared to those of the control cells (Mpountoukas et al. 2011; Marques et al. 2015). The reducing mitotic index caused by chemical compounds in normal cells, without any mutation, leads to tissue dysfunction, by not allowing cell replacement, changing protein production and consequently resulted in improper functioning of the organism. The inhibitory effect of cell division in a tissue also impaired the functioning of other organs (Gomes et al. 2015).

• iii.Hyperactivity, anxiety and depression effects

  Ethyl maltol, which is a flavor enhancer, caused an increased activity, anxiety and anti-social behavior among male Wistar rats. The rats were put in three groups of 15 and given ethyl maltol doses of 0, 1 and 2.5% in their drinking water. The treated animals showed an increase in anxiety as measured by the different animal models of open field, elevated plus-maze and the dark–light transition tests. Hyperactivity, as measured with the open maze model, depression and a decreased direct binding of the dye to the DNA present in the thymus cells of the rats’ calf was reported (Kamel and El-Lethey 2011).

• iii.Neurological problems and hypersensitivity

  The chemicals which are extensively used for flavouring chocolate confectionery are almond containing products and to yield an organic passion fruit flavour to sweets and candies. Use of benzaldehyde and ethyl acrylate on Sprague–Dawley rat models, showed that the former caused considerable effects on the parasympathetic neuron while the latter induced the production of IgE immunoglobulin in elevated amounts (Kamel and El-Lethey 2011).

Natural flavours: a growing trend in the bakery industry

Natural flavours are those agents which are extracted solely from natural plant products like fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, berries and even from the oils of the plant parts (Rochette 2012).Natural flavours, though not as popular as their artificial counterparts, are gaining status in the global food market predominantly, in the confectionery industries. The Code of Federal Regulations (1990) defines “natural” in both Europe as well as in the USA as something that has been derived as an extract, essence, protein hydrolyzate or a distillate of any product of roasting, baking pre heating which has flavouring constituents derived from fruit juices, spices, whole fruits, nuts, bark roots or dairy products (Poornima and Preetha 2017). Most of the natural flavouring compounds are produced from the oils of plant products. These oils contain alkaloids which dissolve in organic solvents like alcohols (Cook and Flaherty 2016). The flavours that are extracted from fruits and spices are often synthesized using special processes and are manufactured in such a way that they remain unchanged in their aroma and flavour at the end of the extraction process (Bleakly 2013).

The global market for food flavours: current scenario

The global demand for natural food flavours is growing staggeringly over the past few years and today it has become one of the most profitable modes of trade in the food processing industry. Not only do natural flavours surpass artificial ones in terms of their sustainability and flavour but also in terms of their nutritional value and economic benefits (Ryder 2019).Natural food flavours are drawing the attention of many consumers because of their well-defined aroma that they impart to the cuisine. Bakery products alone, showed a whopping 80% growth in the consumption of natural fruit essences in the year 2017. Apart from the chocolate and cake companies, the companies that specialize in making pastry dough, cookies and biscuits have been regular customers of natural food flavours. Furthermore, changing consumer lifestyle is also contributing toward the demand of natural flavours in their food (Hutchinson 2016).

The global natural food flavouring market is anticipated to reach a towering value of USD 19.72 Billion by the year 2026 and is even expected to overthrow the market of artificial food flavours by the year 2031. This industry is thriving at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% in Asia Pacific followed by Europe and North America, with 4.9% and 4.8% CAGR, respectively (Ikata et al. 2014). Increase in supply for authentic and exotic flavourings is expected to drive the growth of food flavours.

The key consumers of these flavouring agents include: USA, Switzerland, Germany, UK, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, India, Sweden, Italy, Japan, South Korea, China, Brazil and Australia (Ziel et al. 2015).

Benefits of natural flavours

Natural flavours are predominantly the alkaloids and organic chemicals which occur naturally in plants. As a result, they are healthier and also carry therapeutic properties. It is well estimated that vanillin, which is the naturally occurring compound in vanilla beans has anti-inflammatory properties apart from having a great warm aroma (Ayseli 2016). Limonene, which is found in citrus fruits like oranges, possesses therapeutic properties which help fight blemishes and flu and it also has a zesty flavour (Shaw and Wilson 2012). Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, while grapes, cherries and roses contain anthocyanin which is a powerful antioxidant and an anti-cancer agent (Woodroo 2010; White and Woodrow 2010). Flavours that are synthesized from biological sources like berries and fruits are also quite appetizing and healthy. These flavours have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-obesity properties as well (Ayseli 2016). Consumers were satisfied with the taste and there was no compromise in terms of their flavour or aroma while consuming food products flavoured with natural compounds (Vomfelter 2018).

Extraction processes of natural flavouring agents

Till now over 11,000 volatile compounds have been recognized in foods items. The extraction processes involved in the manufacturing and synthesis of natural flavouring compounds (Table 2), These techniques are also considered as environment friendly unlike the processes concerned with the production of artificial flavours. The by-products and effluents generated upon treatment of plant products are biodegradable and have minimal concentrations of synthetic organic and inorganic chemicals which are otherwise present in large concentrations in the effluents generated during the production of their artificial counterparts (Osmania et al. 2017).

Table 2.

Natural flavours and their respective substrates

Natural flavour/product	Substrate	Refs.
Isoamyl butyrate	Essential oil isoamyl alcohol + butyric acid	Wrolstad and Culver (2012)
Cherry and almond tasting benzaldehyde	Glucoside amygdalin from cherry kernels and almond meal	Perez (2019)
Flowery and fruity smell	Acetate like ester compounds	Wrolstad and Culver (2012)
Butyl acetate pineapple flavour	Lipozyme	Prakash and Gupta (2014)
Aroma of wine	Grape and apple pomace (Saccharomyces sp.)	Branson and Rellegan (2018)
Vanillin	Eugenol via ferulic acid (Pseudomonas sp.)	Perez (2019)
p-Methane monoterpenes	Peppermint, strawberry	Vomfelter (2018)
Cinnamaldehyde	Cinnamon	Fletcher (2018)
Intense aroma of cooked fruits	Wheat bran + cassava bagasse + sugar cane bagasse + glucose	Miller (2013)
Citronellyl acetate (lemon)	Essential oil citronellol + acetic/butyric acid	Anderson et al. (2017)
Geranyl acetate (rose)	Essential oil geraniol acetic/butyric acid	Marques et al. (2015)
Banana flavour	Acetyl ester II	Marques et al. (2015)

Enzymatic extraction

Enzyme encapsulation technique is highly recommended for developing efficient flavours from cherries and almonds which contain benzaldehyde. It imparts a warm and fruity aroma to confectionery products. It is extracted from the kernels of cherries and almond-meal by using β-glucosidase and mandelonitrilelyase enzymes (Thorne and Castle 2019). Microbial lipases are used for the hydrolysis of L-menthyl esterase into L-menthol which is the major constituent of peppermint and spearmint flavours.

Lipases find a lot of applications when it comes to production of natural flavouring agents using enzymes. They are used for the esterification of organic flavours for the production of organic esters which are used for imparting a fruity guava like flavor. Lipases are also used for the production of butyl acetate, which is used for imparting the aroma of pineapples. Lipoxygenase is used for the production of vanillin for vanilla flavour and isoamyl acetate for mimicking the strong flavour of banana (Aaslyn et al. 2015). Various flavouring compounds like ethyl butyrate, isobutyl butyrate and isoamyl acetate are synthesized using hydrolases. These flavouring compounds are used in cake icing, pastries, cookies, butter creams and other bakery items. Proteases on the other hand, are used for the production of diacetyl from cheese and butter (Shaw and Wilson 2012). Other enzymes like hydroxylases, alcohol dehydrogenases and cellulases are used in the production of fruit flavours found in grape, strawberry, raspberry and blueberry (Kent 2014).

Biosynthesis of flavours using fermentation

One of the most common techniques employed for the production of natural food flavourings is fermentation. Fermentation refers to the production of alcohol through microbial degradation of carbohydrates such as glucose, fructose and starch (Fig. 1). Grapes, apples, pomegranates, bananas and peaches are used for manufacturing fruit wines via fermentation. The microorganisms that contribute toward fermentation range from a wide variety of bacteria to fungi including Lactobacillus sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (common yeast). Other microbes include Aspergillus, Pseudomonas, Corny bacterium and other microbial species. Bacteria and fungi are excellent producers of vanillin from eugenol andferulic acid (Fig. 2). Basidiomycetes and Saccharomyces produce apple and grape flavors from the sugars and acids present in these fruits (Gupta et al. 2014). When breads are prepared using beer as a substituent for bakers’ yeast, it helps to impart a fruity aroma and makes them tastier and fluffier at the same time. Microorganisms require inexpensive substrates such as corn meal, farm and agricultural waste, bagasse, fruit and vegetable peels, soy meal and rice bran to thrive upon during the production by fermentation technique. As a result, the production cost reduces and results in the fall of overall price of the flavouring agents making them consumer friendly (Sera et al. 2018).The effects of natural fermentation and inoculation fermentation on the volatile flavor substances of pickled ginger indicated that inoculation fermentation improved the volatile flavor compounds of this popular product due to the abundance of the bacteria in the inoculum (Chen et al. 2023).

Fig. 1.

Production of natural flavours by fermentation (Branson and Rellegan 2018)

Fig. 2.

Production of vanillin from eugenol (Miller 2013)

Microbial biotechnology in the production of food flavors

Advancement in biotechnology is making it possible to synthesize natural flavours economically and successfully at a commercial scale.Biotechnology has been defined as a collection of technologies that employ biological or living systems (microorganisms, plants or animals) or specific compounds derived from these systems, for the production of industrial goods and services. The primary biotechnological techniques that relate to the production of flavors include: (1) plant cell and tissue culture (PTC); (2) microbial fermentation; and, (3) bioconversion of substrates using whole microbial or plant cells or enzymes. Hence advancement in biotechnology make it possible to synthesize natural flavours economically and successfully on a commercial scale (Deepak et al. 2022).

Applications of natural food flavours in the bakery industry

The bakery industry had always remained one of the most lucrative medium of commerce in the European and Middle Eastern countries. Flavours which are used for flavouring food items must with stand high temperatures and should be strong enough to sustain fluctuating humidity. Natural flavours are often considered a healthier choice however; artificial flavours are stronger when it comes to flavouring confectionery products and baked goods (Macaw Obi 2013). Good flavours have a positive approach, balanced aroma and a well-defined taste. When they are used for flavouring food items, such as cakes and chocolates, they are used in minimal to high concentrations depending upon the palatable nature of the food item. Flavourings for cakes, cookies, chocolates, biscuits and buns come in various forms. Most of them are solids or liquids while some may also be in the form of emulsions or oils (Delonzio and Carlos 2017).

Oils

Oils are used for flavouring marmalade and other products which have the flavour of citrus fruits like orange and lemon. These flavouring agents do not contain vegetable oils rather they contain the oils of citrus fruits (essential oils) and are stronger than extracts (Fletcher 2018). Structure of these essential oils is given in Fig. 3. Jeanne et al. (2023) evaluated the Asafetida Oil (Ferula assa-foetida L.), Garlic Oil (Allium sativum L.) and Onion Oil (Allium cepa L.) and affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRASa) under their conditions of intended use as flavor ingredients.

Fig. 3.

Structure of: A D-Limonene-Citrus fruits; B Benzaldehyde-Almonds and Cherries; C Geraniol-Rose oil (Cook and Flaherty 2016)

Extracts

Extracts are those flavouring agents which have alcohol as their base. They are very common in household kitchens and are best suited for any type of cakes, chocolates, cookies, pastry cream, butter cream, etc. Vanilla, almond, rose and cinnamon are some of the universally used extract flavourings (Fletcher 2018).

Powders

When flavouring agents are in the form of powder, it is quite easy to use them and they also impart a better aroma to the food product. The best example would be cocoa, coffee and banana powder which is used in cakes, crème brulee, mousse, cookies and other varieties of confectioneries (Ziel et al. 2015).

Liquors

Liquors are alcoholic beverages which are extremely popular in European desserts and even in the Middle Eastern cuisine. Rum, wine and brandy are used extensively in truffle pastries, cakes, chocolates and other bakery products to impart a stronger and warmer aroma (Gustave and Rossi 2011).

Essences

There are loads of fruit essences available today which can be used for making puddings, cheesecakes, pastries, cookies, cakes and many other confectionery products. Strawberry, grape, blueberry and cherry are available in the form of fruit essences and help in imparting a tangy, zesty aroma to the products (Ryder 2019).

Sustainability and quantification of natural flavours

When it comes to sustainability, food flavours are chosen depending upon their strength at various temperatures and climatic conditions. Natural food flavours such as those obtained via fermentation normally remain stable at higher temperatures of about 40–50 °C, while those that are obtained from plant cells through enzymatic treatment or through microbial degradation tend to lose their aroma when the temperature of the food product is raised (Mayertoff and Zivanovch 2014).Since certain natural flavours are produced under rather harsh conditions, it is quite obvious for them to lose their flavour; hence 100% stability is not attainable. A high oxygen content would increase the rancidity rate of oily confectioneries like cookies and biscuits (Fig. 4), which also contributes towards loss of flavour and a stale odour even in packed conditions. The buttery, coconut like flavour in milk chocolates and vanilla cakes is due to the formation of lactones by the thermal breakdown of hydroxyacids. Products also tend to change their profile when they are subjected to high temperatures because the essences and extracts employed in their preparation are alcohol based and are often volatile in nature (Heller 2018). Humidity and climatic conditions also play an integral role in determining the intensity of flavouring agents. Temperate countries prefer food flavours that remain relatively the same in their taste and aroma over a wide range of temperature. Consumers like to relish the warm, bitter aroma in coffee, vanilla and chocolate products hence they mainly consume them warm while ice cream, cheesecake, pudding and fruit cakes are best enjoyed cold because they taste sweeter and fresher at lower temperatures (Heller 2018). Scientists claim that there is a certain type of behavioural and psychological theory involved here. Shelf-stable foods have lower water activity and lower pH as well whereas perishable foods have the opposite properties, hence, a box of cookies tastes the same even after a week while a truffle pastry which is kept outside the refrigerator may taste bland (McMeekin and Ross 2010). Flavours-irrespective of their origin depend largely on their storage conditions and their water activity preceded by their pH and temperature conditions as well (Macaw Obi 2013). Flavours which are used in confectionery products or any other type of food product for that matter, must also be reliable in terms of their quality, purity and shelf-life. To keep that in mind, numerous quality checks are carried out by experts and food processing scientists to ascertain up to the mark quality of the final product. In order to qualify for the criteria, the flavours should also meet all the requisites as outlined by the quality assurance team. Companies bank on different bio-analytical techniques to test their products. Samples are prepared first and are made to undergo a series of analytical tests to meet the requirements. High-end techniques such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Gas–Liquid Chromatography,Mass Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance are employed to assess the quality of flavouring compounds. The data which is so obtained is analyzed and validated prior to finalizing (Begnaud and Chaintreau 2016). Once the flavours are added to the food product, the products are made to undergo one final test to ensure that they are fit for consumption.

Fig. 4.

Oxidative rancidity of fats (Heller 2018)

Conclusion

Artificial flavours are made from non-food sources, while the natural flavours start from natural food sources, the amount of processing and manipulation that they go through results in a product which is very different from the original source.The human mind identifies the sense of aroma and taste as two of the five major senses in the body so what we eat matters to a great extent. The competition among bakery giants all across the world is cut-throat and so is the market demand and revenue of these flavouring agents. Food companies and confectionery brands are coming up with fresh ideas every day to remain afloat in the industry in order to emerge as the “best”. The race to the top asks for innovation and quality which comes at an enormous price. Be it a double layered cake, a box of cookies or a plate of pudding, the secret ingredient in all of these remains the same, the agent used to enhance their deliciousness. Finally, it is the consumer acceptability of any product for its sustainability in the market.Nutritionally, there is no difference between natural or artificial flavourants.Both natural and artificial flavors are often used to make processed foods enticing, even addictive. Natural flavours can also be said as artificial because they aren't created only from the food but they're replicating and mixed with other products to create a taste. Whereas artificial flavours are made solely from chemicals combined to mimic a flavour. FDA doesn’t require food labels to say what’s in their “natural flavor” unless the ingredients include a common allergen like milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soy. FEMA (Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) is the authority in evaluating the safe and responsible use of flavorings. It also keeps an eye on regulations that may require label changes.

Author contributions

NS and SML discussed on the idea of the article. NS performed the literature search, drafted the manuscript.SML revised the draft, scientific correction and edited the manuscript.

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Declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Ethics approval

Present study does not involve any ethical experiment.

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