Food Flavors Flashcards
What is a Food Flavour
Sensations produced by a food in the mouth and the nose
What are the components of Food Flavours
- Taste
- Odor or Smell
- Mouthfeel
How is taste received and what are the types of taste?
♣ we receive on the taste buds called the papillae ϖ Sweet ϖ Sour ϖ Salty ϖ Bitter ϖ Umami
Odor or Smell
Name 5
ϖ Ethereal ϖ Pungent ϖ Putrid ϖ Floral ϖ Minty ϖ Musky ϖ Camphoraceous
Mouthfeel
What are the 3 components
ϖ Temperature
ϖ Pain
ϖ Tactical sensations
How is Flavour perceived
smell signal from the nose + taste signal from the tongue + mouthfeel from teeth, jaws, tongue –> flavour perceived in the brain
What makes something Sweet Taste? What are the 3 types of sweetness?
o Due to electronegative elements of organic molecules (e.g., O & N):-
♣ alcohols (e.g., glycerol, xylitol) – OH
♣ aldehydes (e.g., cinnamaldehyde) – OH
♣ certain amino acids (e.g., D-Histidine) – N
Relative Sweetness of Sugars
Reference is sucrose = 1
DECREASING ORDER:
aspartame fructose SUCROSE glycerol mannitol glucose galactose sorbitol maltose lactose
Taste of Asp-NH3 (aa) isomers
L isomer –> tasteless
D isomer –> sweet
Taste of Glu (aa) isomers
L isomer –> meaty
D isomer –> tasteless
Taste of His (aa) isomers
L isomer –> tasteless to bitter
D isomer –> sweet
Taste of Ile (aa) isomers
L isomer –> bitter
D isomer –> sweet
Taste of Try (aa) isomers
L isomer –> bitter
D isomer –> very sweet
What are traditional sweeteners? Name 5
o sugar(sucrose) o invert sugar o conventional corn syrup o high fructose corn syrup o maltodextrin
Food Used as Sweeteners
Name 3
Honey
Maple Sugar
Molasses
What is honey and what is its composition?
sweet, syrupy liquid made by honey bees; it is a mixture of fructose (33-40%) & glucose (32-42%) with 15-
20% H2O, & significant content of phenolics.
What is maple sugar and what is its composition?
mixture of glucose, fructose, and sucrose
- obtained by boiling the sap of the sugar maple tree.
What is molasses and what is its composition?
the dark syrupy liquid left after recovery of sugar from either sugar cane or sugar beet. Has variable composition.
How is molasses made?
♣ Sugar cane –> crushing –> juice –> heated sugar crystals or syrup –> sugar crystals and syrup (cane molasses-blackstrap molasses)
♣ As you process more the intensity in the color and the viscosity increases.
♣ Blackstrap molasses in rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium.
Blackstrap molasses is rich in vitamins and minerals such as
vitamin B potassium iron calcium magnesium
Today’s challenge with sweet taste is ___
to provide good tasting sugar-free products (low calorie, non- cariogenic sweeteners)
Name Low Calorie, Non-cariogenic sweeteners
polyols (xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol); polydextrose, fruit juices.
The 8 Criteria for selecting alternate sweeteners
o cariogenicity o sweetness equivalent o solubility o hygroscopicity o heatofsolution o viscosity o laxativeeffect o cost
What is Cariogenicity
depends on susceptibility to fermentation by oral microorganisms
- Generally, polyols are resistant to fermentation or not fermented appreciably. Thus formation of cavity causing fermentation plaque acids is minimal.
Sweetness Equivalent: consumers generally concerned with:
o sweetness
o quality of that sweetness
The alternate sweetener must provide the same sweet taste the consumer associates with sugar, without any objectionable aftertaste.
How does Solubility affect Sweeteners
o Solubility can influence mouthfeel, texture & onset of sweetness perception of the product;
o Thus, it is desirable for the alternate sweetener to have similar solubility profile as traditional sugar;
o Alternate sweeteners with low solubility result in products with a chalky mouthfeel
Viscosity in Sweeteners
Give examples
o The viscosity of the alternate sweetener can influence products’ characteristics
e.g., xylitol is less viscous than sugar (or maltitol) and can yield a poor bodying effect;
polydextrose has higher viscosity than sucrose.
Combinations of xylitol with polydextrose help to produce desired products.
What is Hygroscopicity in Sweeteners?
- Give examples
- How is the shelf-life of hygroscopic sweeteners and how does that affect the packaging?
is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature.
o Hygroscopicity can affect shelf-stability of a product;
o Mannitol & isomalt are non-hygroscopic, while the remaining polyols are fairly hygroscopic;
o Shelf-life of products from high hygroscopic materials is relatively short; the products may even require individual wrapping.
Heat of Solution or Cooling Effects in Sweeteners
- Which sweeteners have the most cooling effect?
- What are the advantages of cooling effects?
ϖ when crystalline polyols dissolve, the relatively lower heat of solution (versus sugar) produces a pleasant cooling effect in the mouth, and gives them a “taste edge” over sugar in many applications
- e.g., mint flavors
ϖ xylitol has the most cooling effect; mannitol and sorbitol also produce significant cooling effects
ϖ isomalt produces marginal cooling effect
ϖ the cooling effect due to sucrose is very limited and similar to that of maltitol
ϖ Some applications that take advantage of the cooling effects are:- chewing gum, tablets, mints, lozenges, coatings, fondants, hard candies & certain chocolates.
Laxative effects of sweeteners
Which sweeteners have laxative effect?
What is the concern?
o Polyols and polydextrose have laxative effect– because they are incompletely digested and slowly absorbed;
o Food which provide>50g sorbitol/day or >20g mannitol /day are required to pose a label warning statement concerning the potential laxative effect. It is the same with foods providing >15 g polydextrose/day.
Cost considerations in using Sweeteners
- Which sweeteners are more expensive than the others?
o Cost is a major factor in selecting alternate sweetners;
o On a dry solids basis, maltitol is about 5x more expensive than corn syrup, sorbitol is about 2 to 3 times as expensive as sugar;
o Mannitol, xylitol, isomalt, and maltitol are even much more expensive.
Relative sweetness of selected alternate sweeteners:
xylitol polydextrose mannitol maltitol isomalt sorbitol
xylitol > maltitol > mannitol > sorbitol > isomalt > polydextrose
Xylitol vs Sucrose
Xylitol is isosweet with sucrose (less viscous than sucrose in solution)
Sweetness synergism occurs between sweeteners for formulation benefits examples:
e. g.,
3: 2 ratio of xylitol to sorbitol in chewing gum;
4: 1 ratio of maltitol & xylitol in chocolate produce sugar-free products.
True/False
Sorbitol is more viscous than sucrose in solution
True
sorbitol or polydextrose are more viscous than sucrose in solution.
What is synergistic effect of sweeteners
♣ by using blends of the polyols, we can have combination that are similar to sucrose in sweetness and viscosity – SYNERGISTIC EFFECT
♣ Synergistic effect produced by blending,
Xylitol
- compare its sweetness to other sugars
- is isosweet to ____
- name one pro and one con
o sweetest of the polyols
o is isosweet to sugar
o without discernible after taste;
- Xylitol is metabolized independently of insulin - thus, is a useful ingredient in diabetic foods;
- It is resistant to fermentation by oral bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus mutans). Thus, does not cause pH decline (as with sucrose) to demineralize tooth enamel and cause decay.
Some Technical Characteristics of Xylitol
o high thermal stability; o high microbiological stability; o inhibits many food - spoilage organisms; o does not react with amino acids; o moderate hygroscopicity.
Some Applications of Xylitol
o in chewing gum and other confectionery;
o in pharmaceuticals (e.g., syrups, chewable tablets);
o in oral hygiene products (toothpaste, mouthwash)
o in diabetic foods.
High Intensity Natural Sweeteners
- Name 4 main and others
Amino acids Miraculin Thaumatin Stevia Others are: monellin, brazellin, neoculin (all from plants found in tropical rainforests) & mabinlin (China).
Amino acids as high intensity natural sweeteners
- Give examples (be specific)
- Which isomer is sweeter? D or L? Prove
e.g., D-His; D-Leu; D-Try; D-Tyr & Gly). In general, the D-amino acids tend to be sweet & the L-
isomers are bitter; some exceptions are D-Ala which has an insipid taste and L-Ala which is sweet
• D-Try~35x sweeter than sucrose; its synthetic derivative 6-chloro-D-Try is ~1000x sweeter than sucrose.
Miraculin
- what is it?
- what is its major property?
high intensity natural sweetener
a glycoprotein from berries found in West Africa. The fruit of this plant is commonly referred to as the miracle fruit. Has the unusual property of tasting intensely sweet only in the presence of acids.
Thaumatin
- what is it?
- where is it found?
- What is its relative sweetness?
high intensity natural sweetener
a mixture of sweet-tasting proteins found in the African fruit known as katemfe. It is about 1,500- 2,500x sweeter than sucrose.
Stevia
- what is it?
- where is it found?
- what is the active compound?
high intensity natural sweetener
a shrub found in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of the Americas.
Active compound is steviol glycoside
Miracle Fruit
- what is its major characteristic?
miraculin
Has the unusual property of tasting intensely sweet only in the presence of acids.
High Intensity Synthetic Sweeteners
- Name 6
Saccharin Cyclamates Aspartame Acesulfame K Sucralose Alitame
Saccharin
- What is it?
- What is its relative sweetness?
- what is its nickname?
(Na or Ca salts - ~200-400x sweeter than sucrose); a.k.a. Sweet ‘N Low
True/False
L- amino acids are generally sweeter than the D-forms (might have insipid or bitter tastes)
false
D- amino acids are generally sweeter than the L-forms (might have insipid or bitter tastes)
In synthetic sweeteners, what are the tastes perceived from L and D isomers
ϖ D-insipid
ϖ L-sweeter
Cyclamates
- what is it?
- what is its relative sweetness?
- what is its disadvantage?
- what is its nickname?
Na or Ca salts - ~30-40x sweeter than sucrose).
- Converted to cyclohexylamine - a carcinogen, by intestinal bacteria in certain individuals);
a. k.a. Sugar Twin
Aspartame
- what is its chemical composition?
- what is its relative sweetness?
- how is it used?
- what is its nickname?
the methyl ester of the dipeptide, L-aspartyl- L-phenylalanine;
about 200x sweeter than sugar;
approved in early 1980’s for use as table-top sweetener, in dry beverage mixes, and in foods that are not heat processed;
a.k.a. Equal / NutraSweet
Acesulfame K
- what is it chemical compound?
- what is its relative sweetness?
- what is it key characteristic?
- what is its nickname?
tisK-saltofmethyl-oxathiazine- dioxide;
about 200x sweeter than sugar;
more stable than other synthetic sweeteners;
and sweet taste is clean and does not linger;
a.k.a. Ace-K, Sunett, Sweet One.
Sucralose
- what is it chemical compound?
- what is its relative sweetness?
- what is it key characteristic?
- what is its nickname?
trichloro derivative of glucose-fructose;
~600x sweeter than sucrose.
More stable than sugar, and appears to be very suitable for several food uses;
a.k.a. Splenda
Alitame
- what is it chemical compound?
- what is its relative sweetness?
- what is it key characteristic?
- what is its nickname?
a derivative of the dipeptide L-α- aspartyl-alaninamide.
It is about 2,000-3,000x sweeter than sucrose;
a.k.a. Aclame
Alitame is stable to heat, which is a definite advantage over aspartame in some food applications.
