Lecture
It is known that the use of aromatic substances in food technologies improves organoleptic characteristics and considerably expands the range of products. Aromatic substances are divided into three groups [2, 5]:
Many food products (fruits, berries, etc.) contain aromatic
substances, so-called "key compounds," that is, compounds that impart the odor
to that product. Thus, the key aroma component of black currant is
4-methoxy-2-methyl-2-butenethiol, of apricots – γ-decalactone, of garlic –
diallyl di- and trisulfides, etc. High-quality flavorings must contain both key compounds and a number of odor-active substances that are important for
forming a full-fledged aroma.
In DSTU–N CODEX STAN 192:2014 «Food Additives. Nomenclature and General Requirements», the following are listed as natural flavorings, the so-called
"essential oils" (alcoholic, water-alcoholic, CO2 extracts, distillates and essences
based on them), as well as vanilla extract and smoke concentrates in the form of solutions.
At the same time, it is known that "essential oils" can have not only acute
toxicity with respect to humans, but also other harmful effects. Thus, for example,
physicians note cases of "wormwood epilepsy" in people fond of vermouth, which contains the essential oil of bitter wormwood (Artemisia
absinthium). It is also known that nutmeg and its essential oil have a psychotropic effect. In 1981, it was established that one of the components of calamus essential oil (beta-asarone) has a carcinogenic effect.
European calamus oil contains only 5% beta-asarone, whereas
Indian calamus produces an oil containing 75-90% of this compound. After
the cessation of calamus essential oil production in Ukraine, India became its sole supplier.
Under the GRAS nomenclature, aromatic substances are represented by flavorings identical to natural ones, as well as essences based on them,
smoke flavors, and vanillin. Of synthetic flavorings, only
ethylvanillin is listed. For flavorings, the index "E" is preferably not indicated.
The maximum permissible dose has been established only for vanillin and ethylvanillin.
In the production of essences for confectionery products, the following
synthetic aromatic substances are used: pineapple aldehyde, amyl acetate,
amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl
alcohol, heliotropin, diisoamyl ether, ionone, cinnamic aldehyde, methyl anthranilate, orris, undecalactone, phenylacetaldehyde, phenylethyl alcohol,
phenylethyl acetate, phenylacetic acid, citral, citronellol, ethyl pelargonate, ethyl formate, ethyl caproate, ethyl salicylate, ethyl nonanoate, ethylphenylacetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl. A fruity aroma is possessed by: ethyl formate, isoamyl formate (plum), citronellyl formate,
ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, isoamyl acetate (pear),
ethyl butyrate (pineapple), isoamyl butyrate, ethyl valerate (apple), decyl aldehyde (orange), citral and citronellal (lemon), benzaldehyde (almond). Notable for their aroma are: phenylethyl
alcohol (rose), heliotropin (floral), linalyl formate and citronellyl acetate (coriander), linalyl formate and isoamyl propionate (bergamot).
It is not permitted to flavor baby food products, or natural food products or beverages, with synthetic flavorings
in order to enhance their inherent natural aroma. Aromatic essences must be used only for their intended purpose.
In 1959, the countries of the European Union began developing a single document on the use of flavorings in beverages and food products and on restrictions in this area. The Committee of Experts on Food Flavoring Substances (Flavoring Substances) published in 1970 the first edition of the document "Flavoring
Substances and Natural Sources of Flavorings," which was subsequently supplemented in the second
(1973) and third (1981) editions. The medico-biological data accumulated
in Europe, as well as the results of systematic studies of essential oils and aromatic substances at the American research institute Research
Institute Fragrances Materials (RIFM), served as the source material for creating this directive document.
This institute summarized the known data and tested, in experiments on animals, the medico-biological properties of practically all "essential oils" and aromatic substances used as flavoring additives. The results were regularly published, starting from 1973, in the form of reports in
the journal Food and Cosmetic Toxicology, published in Great Britain.
Each of these reports contains:
1) brief data on the composition and properties of the tested product;
2) information about the volumes and methods of production;
3) data on the norms for its introduction into soap, detergents, creams, lotions and perfumes;
4) results of toxicological tests conducted on animals when taken orally (oral LD50) and when applied to the skin (dermal LD50);
5) results of tests for irritating and sensitizing effects.
Today, the so-called "Blue Book" has been issued, containing a list of flavorings permitted for use in EU countries. It notes that «the EU Committee of Experts must often make decisions that
are based on very limited toxicological data on individual
aromatic substances». Consequently, the EU Committee of Experts, in cases where the necessary materials are lacking, was forced to take into account far fewer
criteria than is customary for assessing the safety of food additives. The Committee
acknowledges that aromatic substances «may sometimes cause
hypersensitivity reactions in individual people» and emphasizes that «such reactions cannot be predicted by tests performed on laboratory animals or, in their case,
by in vitro study». The EU Committee of Experts did not take into account manifestations of hypersensitivity resulting from the use of individual flavorings either. The «Blue
Book» also states that when classifying aromatic substances as
belonging to the permitted category, «information on mutagenicity studies was
considered only in individual cases».
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