Page 45 - FoodFocusThailand No.201 December 2022

STRATEGIC R&D

are found in nature; Natural Identical (NI) between the additives and the proteins used in the production process. The
is the type that refers to a synthetically interactions could be caused by either the strong or weak molecular bonding.
created chemical that is identical to the More often than not, the issues arise when the strong bond molecules are formed,
natural one; and Artificial (AR) refers to causing the flavor to be trapped or not released in sufficient quantities to change
the chemicals that are not found in the overall flavor of the food. An example of this would be getting boiled pork flavor
nature. Manufacturers tend to use N and instead of the intended roasted pork in the plant-based meat products.
NI types and avoid using AR type; for The solution is to study each protein’s chemical bonds and characteristics, as
example, vanilla ice cream in the past well as the chemical additives and their natural reactions. This would help
contained an AR-type additive called manufacturers to mix the substances in the correct amount and allow consumers
ethyl vanillin, a chemical that is not found to perceive the intended flavor as close to real meat as possible.
in nature but provides a vanilla aroma.
The chemical was cheap and often
provided promising results. However, More Information Service Info C005
because manufacturers were
increasingly leaning towards NI
additives, many of them started switching
from ethyl vanillin to vanillin, which also
provides a vanilla scent and found
naturally in vanilla pods. Some even
prefer using the real vanilla pods, which
are a completely natural additive
(N-Type). This gives more confidence to
the customers regarding safety.

Flavor additives and their
applications in plant-based
proteins
People prefer natural products and tend
to consume less salty and sweet, high-
protein foods. In addition, plant-based
products are also becoming more
popular, which is also driving great
product innovation. However, using
plant-based protein, which is typically
derived from soybeans and other types
of beans and nuts, gives off a very strong
smell. When mixing with the flavor
additives, it results in a different flavor.
A good example is plant-based meat,
which, even with meat flavor additives,
does not always provide the desired
meat flavor. The strong odor of beans
still gives an unpleasant sensation and
is the main reason to drive customers
away from the product.
The undesirable flavor is caused by
the flavor of the beans competing with
the meat flavor. It could be solved by
adding some additives to block or mask
the beany profile before adding the meat
flavor-enhancing additives.
Nevertheless, the beany-blocking
additive can also block the palatable
meat flavor if there are chemical
reactions (interactions) occurring

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