- IN Lately found in food products natural flavors- rare luck. IN best case scenario the product contains flavorings, identical to natural, and at worst - artificial flavors. I would like to know what is hidden behind the term “flavors identical to natural”?

As nutrition experts explain, food flavorings- These are additives that are added to a food product to improve its aroma and taste. The use of flavorings allows manufacturers to create the widest range of food products that differ in aroma and taste, based on the same type of product: candy caramel, marmalade, soft drinks, jelly, ice cream, yoghurt and so on. Flavors are divided into natural, identical to natural and artificial.

Natural flavors obtained by physical methods (pressing, extraction, distillation) from raw materials of plant or animal origin. For various reasons, the production of food products using only natural flavors is not possible: one of them is the high cost of natural flavors, the second is the weak or insufficient stability of natural flavors.

Flavors, identical to natural ones, figuratively speaking, they are obtained, not in the garden, but in the laboratory: the flavors “strawberry”, “peach”, “blackcurrant”, “apricot” and so on consist of the same components as natural berries and fruits, they are only obtained using a method chemical synthesis, completely repeating them chemical formula. Naturally identical means “the same as natural.” Used in food production Also artificial flavors - they may contain one or more artificial substances that do not occur in nature. For example, the taste and aroma of vanilla can be imparted to the product not only by vanillin, but also by ethyl vanillin - a combination not found in nature, but obtained by chemical methods.

However, a completely logical question arises: why add flavorings when you can use natural fruits and berries? The fact is that most combinations that convey taste and aroma natural fruits and berries, unstable when exposed to high temperatures. And flavorings allow you to restore taste and aroma, which are partially lost during storage, processing, freezing, pasteurization or canning. In addition, flavorings can enhance natural taste and aroma of products or to impart aroma to products from valuable raw materials devoid of aroma, for example, a processed product from soy. Flavorings also help remove unpleasant tastes from foods.

- My children categorically refuse to drink milk. They don’t even allow you to add it to porridge. Like, you need to take care of your figure. And none of my persuasion works on them. Help convince them...

Experts state: the diet of Belarusians is characterized by low calcium, which entails disturbances in the functioning of various organs and systems of the body, primarily the skeletal system. Therefore, the main argument in favor of milk is that it is milk that supplies the human body with the lion’s share of phosphorus and calcium in the most accessible and easily digestible form!

In general, milk is characterized by optimal balance nutrients And high degree their absorption by the body. It contains hundreds of different the most valuable components: more than 20 optimally balanced amino acids, over 140 fatty acids, milk sugar lactose, rich assortment minerals, microelements, vitamins, phosphatides, enzymes, hormones and other substances, necessary for the body to maintain normal life. By content essential amino acids milk proteins are classified as high protein biological value. The degree of absorption of milk proteins is very high - 96-98 percent.

Now regarding the threat that milk consumption can supposedly pose to your figure. Experts explain that whole milk is a food product with an average cholesterol content. Therefore, those who care about overweight, we can recommend using low-fat or reduced-fat dairy products: 1.5% instead of 3.5%, milk, not creamy yogurt, sour cream with a fat content of 10 to 15% instead of 20 - 25%. For example, a cup whole milk contains about 30 mg of cholesterol, a cup of two percent fat milk contains 15 mg, and a cup of skim milk contains only 7 mg of cholesterol. Skim milk as a source of complete protein for humans is included in the pyramid healthy eating with a recommendation of consumption of 2-3 cups per day. It is very important that in skimmed milk milk proteins and milk sugar are completely transferred from whole milk. It also includes phosphatides, non-protein nitrogenous combinations, vitamins, enzymes, hormones and other combinations. In terms of value, milk with reduced fat content is practically not inferior to whole milk.

- Tell me, what can I replace sugar in my diet with? Is it safe to sweeten coffee with synthetic sugar substitutes?

In terms of calorie content, most natural sugar substitutes are not inferior to it, but they are sweeter, and therefore the dose of their consumption is less. The most well-known plant-based sugar substitutes are sorbitol and fructose. They can be used even by sick people diabetes mellitus. High-quality fructose is almost twice as sweet as sugar, and sorbitol is one and a half times sweeter. IN daily consumption better to give preference fructose, since sorbitol contains one unpleasant by-effect- it has a laxative effect.

The most common synthetic sweeteners are sodium cyclamate and aspartame. They are sold in the form of small tablets (“Tsukli”, “Susli”, “Sladis” and others), and their content in the tablet itself is completely insignificant; everything else is a filler, usually starch. But these tablets are extremely sweet. One sweetener tablet is equal to one teaspoon of sugar. True, discussions about the safety of using synthetic sweeteners in the world continue. IN European countries, For example, the use of aspartame is prohibited in the diet of young children. It is not recommended for teenagers either, although they are the main consumers of aspartame, since this sugar substitute is found in all “light” sodas with the prefix “light”. Aspartame is strictly prohibited for phenylketonuria. The “geography” of cyclamate consumption is even more limited: it is prohibited for use in the USA, France, Great Britain and several other countries. There is an opinion that sodium cyclamate provokes kidney failure. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should not consume cyclamate. Featured safe doses Aspartame consumption is 40 mg per 1 kilogram of human weight, and sodium cyclamate is 10 mg per kilogram of weight.

Food flavorings are very popular types food additives and are used mainly in restaurants quick food, in production meat products, sausages, desserts, soups instant cooking and other semi-finished products.

Fresh food has a distinct taste and aroma. During industrial processing and storage, taste and aroma are lost or undergo strong changes. To return lost products taste qualities, flavor and aroma enhancers are used ( flavorings), containing nucleotides - substances that stimulate taste buds. Quickly penetrating the brain, these substances enhance taste sensations. Some substances used as flavorings may cause various diseases. Typically, flavor enhancers and flavorings are mixtures of different substances, which makes it practically impossible to determine whether a given food additive is harmful or not. Additional danger flavorings is that they can completely mask the taste and smell of low-quality products (for example, the smell rotten meat or fish).

Food flavorings

Designation of food flavorings and flavor enhancers:

Flavor enhancers are designated by the letters E 620 - E 637.

Food flavorings they do not have separate names and are not designated by the letters E. The packaging usually simply indicates that the product contains flavorings.

Classification of food flavorings:

1. Natural food flavors.

The term "natural flavor" in different countries has different meanings. Unfortunately, in Russia the term “natural flavor” means that the shock absorber “contains one or more flavoring agents and/or one or more natural flavoring agents.” Thus, “natural flavor” does not mean “harmless.” But there are also food flavors that consist entirely of natural substances. These are truly harmless natural flavors.

2. Food flavors identical to natural ones.

A natural-identical flavor contains one or more artificially produced chemical compounds that are similar in composition to flavoring substances of plant or animal origin.

3. Artificial food flavors.

Artificial food flavors contain flavoring chemical compounds that have no analogues in nature.

Diseases caused by flavor enhancers and flavorings:

The most popular flavor enhancer is monosodium glutamate (E 621). This dietary supplement enhances sensitivity taste buds. Monosodium glutamate may cause headache, drowsiness, increased heart rate, increased temperature, muscle weakness, allergies, decreased vision. In children, this food additive causes irreversible damage to vision and brain.

There are other, no less dangerous flavor enhancers and flavoring agents. Some of them have been little studied.

How to prevent health hazards caused by food flavorings?

Pay attention to the composition of the food product indicated on the packaging and try to visit fast food restaurants less often. If the packaging says that the product includes spices, but does not indicate which ones, it may contain any food enhancers taste and aromas.

Try to exclude from your diet foods from the “black list” of popular foods with high content food flavorings.

Today, in our perception of food, not only nutritional quality and taste are important, but also smell. In the composition of products, we often read such concepts as flavors - identical to natural or synthetic. But what is hidden under these terms?

What are food flavors

Food flavoring is an additive that is added to a food product to improve its aroma and taste. It is a flavoring substance or a mixture of flavoring substances with or without a solvent, dry carrier (filler). With the help of such components, manufacturers can create a wide range of food products that differ in aroma and taste, based on the same type of product: marmalade, soft drinks, candy caramel, jelly, ice cream, yoghurt and others. There are natural, natural identical and synthetic flavors.

Natural may include exclusively natural aromatic components. They are obtained by physical methods (pressing, distillation, extraction) from raw materials of plant or animal origin. However, in our time, the production of products using such flavors is almost impossible. The main reason for this is the high cost of the final product, another reason lies in the weak or insufficient stability of such components.

Flavors identical to natural ones, figuratively speaking, are obtained not in the garden, but in the laboratory. The aromas of peach, strawberry, apricot, blackcurrant and others consist of the same components as natural berries or fruits, only they are obtained by chemical synthesis. Such compounds may contain one or more artificial substances that cannot be found in nature. For example, the taste and aroma of vanilla can be obtained not only from vanillin, but also from ethylvanillin - this is a combination obtained by chemical methods.

Artificial flavors contain at least one artificial component, and may also contain natural and natural-identical ingredients. These chemical compounds are obtained through chemical synthesis.

Many people have a question: why add flavorings when you can use natural fruits and berries? The fact is that many combinations of tastes and aromas are lost under the influence of high temperatures. And with the help of specially created ones, you can restore taste and aroma, which are partially lost during storage, processing, freezing, pasteurization or preservation. In addition, they are able to enhance the natural taste and aroma of products, as well as impart aroma to products made from valuable raw materials that are odorless (soybean products). In addition, with the help of flavorings you can eliminate food products from unpleasant odors.

As a rule, such additives are available in the form of liquid (solutions or emulsions), dry and paste products. Liquid ones are much cheaper than similar dry ones and are intended for most food products ( confectionery, drinks, low-fat and dairy products). It is worth noting that all flavors can be obtained as a result of physical (extraction, distillation, dissolution and mixing) and chemical (synthesis, smoke generation during combustion or pyrolysis) processes. And food smoking flavors can be obtained by absorbing fumes, which are used in traditional smoking, with a solvent (mainly water).

It is worth noting that flavoring substances contain more than 70% of all products in our country, so it is quite difficult to find products that do not contain flavoring agents, flavor enhancers, or preservatives. Children's juices, yoghurts, curds, confectionery and meat products, drinks and teas - all contain artificial additives. In addition, they are even present in infant nutrition and dried fruits. So how harmful are these food additives?

Harm from food flavorings

Compared to other food additives, flavorings are not so dangerous, but they can still cause some harm to health. First of all, it is recommended to always give preference to products with natural flavors, since neither an identical, nor even a synthetic analogue can fully convey the true aroma and taste of a particular product. But even in this case, not everything is so simple. As already mentioned, under the influence of high temperatures, taste and aroma natural products gets lost. In addition, natural flavors are very expensive. In addition, unlike natural ones, identical natural or synthetic food flavors are much more convenient to use due to their “unpretentiousness” and lower cost.

For example, vanillin is the main aromatic substance vanilla. The use of this spice in pure form is considered quite an expensive pleasure, so they began to extract vanilla from vanilla pods White powder, which has a strong odor characteristic of this spice. This natural flavoring is absolutely harmless, the only exception being individual intolerance to the product. Rather, on the contrary, due to the content of polyphenols in vanillin, it is able to fight malignant neoplasms. It can be used in the prevention of vascular and heart diseases; in addition, it perfectly relieves inflammatory processes, has an antimicrobial effect and antiallergic properties.

However, in stores and finished products It is very difficult to find vanillin, since its price, although less than the price of vanilla, still remains quite high. Therefore, in our time, vanillin flavoring, identical to natural, or its synthetic “brother” is often used.

The harm of vanillin flavoring, identical to natural, is explained by the presence of chemical compounds in it that are not beneficial to health. The most dangerous supplement is coumarin, the toxic effect of which can destroy the liver. Of course that beneficial properties does not have such a flavoring. Citral - the aroma of orange, is also an artificial component. Its presence in products is often kept silent, because it can cause metabolic disorders in the body.

Artificial food flavors, although harmful to human health, are not as significant as other food additives. However, intensive consumption of products with synthetic flavors can cause significant harm to health, especially for children. It should also be noted that long-term use products containing high concentrations These supplements may negatively affect the liver.

It is important to remember that most food flavorings will be safe if consumed in reasonable quantities, that is, a little at a time and not every day. It is recommended to give preference to natural or identical flavors, and it is advisable to limit the use of products with artificial additives.

Irina Mastryukova, head of the quality department of OOO Valio:

“Flavors are substances that enhance taste and aroma. They are added to food products to improve organoleptic properties - taste and smell. With the help of flavoring agents, different, recognizable natural tastes and aromas of fruits, berries, vegetables, and so on are “assigned” to fairly similar products.

All flavors can be divided into natural compounds (natural flavors) and substances that imitate natural ones. The first type of flavoring additives is isolated from berries, fruits, vegetables, plants in the form of juices, essences or concentrates. Flavors that imitate natural ones can be identical to natural or artificial. They are obtained synthetically, and the methods for obtaining additives in this group can be very diverse.

The chemical nature of flavors identical to natural ones can also be very different. It includes various components, for example: essential oils, aldehydes, alcohols, esters and the like. When producing such flavoring additives, the most important thing is to reproduce compounds that are identical in their chemical composition substances that make up the flavor created by nature. Not all raw materials for them are grown in the garden; some can be obtained in laboratories. But in its main organoleptic properties(taste and smell) a flavor identical to natural should not differ in any way from natural. Natural flavors are more expensive than their synthetic counterparts and do not have high heat, acid and time resistance.

In the dairy industry, flavoring additives are used in the production of fruit and berry yoghurts, curds and various desserts, and the type of flavoring is indicated in the technical text on the label. Over the past decade, consumers around the world have become very conscious of the ingredients in the products they buy. Ingredients with complex names, the origin of which is difficult for a non-specialist to determine, raise questions. That is why the concept of a “clean label”, in English Clean Label, is becoming increasingly popular: products that contain only simple and understandable components. Natural, as they say.”

Yulia Khankhalaeva, brand manager of Ahmad Tea Ltd.:

“According to the European classification, a flavor identical to natural is composed of a chemical structure that coincides with the structure of natural substances. Such flavorings are considered harmless and are approved for use in the food industry in all countries of the world.

Modern flavorings used in Food Industry, are obtained from natural raw materials (plant or animal origin) through physical, enzymatic or microbiological processes. Quality and quantity of flavors in Russian Federation controlled technical regulations TR CU 029/2012 “Safety requirements food additives, flavorings and technological aids." The manufacturer must indicate the presence of these substances on the packaging.

Flavors are divided into five types.

FTNF Natural Flavor is made up of 95% of the directly labeled fruit or natural substance with the addition of 5% other fruit or natural substance.

Natural WONF flavoring is produced biotechnologically from the actual fruit, berry or other natural substance indicated in the composition with the addition of other fruits, berries, and so on in a greater proportion than in FTNF.

Natural flavoring FOS is made biotechnologically from other fruits or natural substances - that is, it does not contain the product directly indicated in the name.

A natural identical flavor is formulated with a chemical structure that matches that of natural substances, but is not based on natural substances.

Artificial flavoring is made up entirely of artificial substances, and the structure of natural substances is also ignored.

Ahmad Tea Ltd. in its blends it uses partly natural flavors and partly flavors identical to natural ones, but never artificial flavors.”

According to our research department, the precise definition of natural flavors contained in Title 21, Section 101, Part 22 of the US Code of Federal Regulations is:

“The terms “natural flavor” and “natural flavoring agent» imply essential oil, oleoresin (turpentine), essence or extract, protein hydrolysate, distillate or any product of calcination, heating or enzymolysis (enzymatic decomposition of substances) which contains flavoring elements extracted from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, nutritional yeast, grass, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, as well as from meat, seaweed, game, eggs, dairy products or fermented foods. All these additional components give the main ingredients a specific taste or aroma, but have no nutritional value.”

In other words, any product whose use is officially approved can be considered a natural flavor. In fact, it is impossible to tell what exactly is in a certain natural flavor unless the company that makes the product lists the ingredients on the label. These days, some vegetarian- and vegan-friendly companies do this, but not the vast majority of food manufacturers.

Why do companies hide ingredients under the label of "natural flavors"? This approach is seen as a way to preserve the identity and unique character of the product. It's something like " secret recipe- Manufacturers fear that if people find out exactly what the ingredients are, someone will be able to copy the product.

So what should vegetarians do? Call the company? Asking what's in flavorings? It is possible that they will not be able or willing to provide this information. But! The more often they hear this question, the more urgent it becomes for them to put an explanatory note on the label. In some cases, this tactic is effective (remember what happened when numerous consumers began writing to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) about organic standards), although it can take some time. Some large companies have already urged consumers to pay attention to the natural flavors they produce and have asked for advice on what information they should put on labels if they only use vegetarian or vegan flavors. This happened due to the fact that manufacturers realized that this issue is relevant for vegetarians and vegans.

Many phone numbers listed on product labels belong to consumer relations departments staffed by people who can only read official company information. If you are tempted to vent your anger and yell at them, you still shouldn't do it. This is the same as blaming an ordinary seller for the fact that the store in which he works has the wrong policy.